Number Nine Dream: An Autobiography of Rob Howley

Robert Howley was a late developer in terms of playing international rugby, but by 28 he was the captain of Wales. In this account, he looks back at his own injury heartache, his late development, the pain of seeing a friend temporarily paralysed, and the various scrapes with officialdom he has been involved in throughout his career. He talks in detail about the teething problems of professionalism and how he, one of Welsh rugby's all-time great players, has on more than one occasion been issued with an ultimatum by the Welsh Rugby Union. Now a seasoned international and a British Lion, Howley tells a story of pride, passion, and extreme personal pain. The book is a recollection of events both on and off the pitch and highlights what goes on in rugby's corridors of power and behind the changing-room doors.