The Story of Irish Rugby

From the bestselling author of the Rugby Spirit series

With rugby more popular in Ireland than ever before, sportswriter Gerard Siggins celebrates the sport as he charts its success across the country and beyond.

From its origins and early history to club games and the international stage, this lavishly illustrated book includes everything you could possibly want to know about Irish rugby and more.

• Rules and history of the game

• The four provinces

• Unforgettable matches and tournaments

• Legendary players

Table of Contents

Origins 

Rugby Comes To Ireland 

Playing Rugby – The Basic

 

Playing Rugby – More of the Rules

 

The Provinces: Connacht

 

Rugby for Boys and Girls 

Playing For Ireland

 

Playing For The Lions

 

The Provinces: Leinster

 

When England Came

 

From Lansdowne to Aviva

 

Other Home Grounds

 

The Provinces: Munster

 

Women Rugby Pioneers

Rugby’s Imaginary Trophies

 

Not All Black Against The All Blacks 

The Worldwide Game 

The Clubs: Heartbeat of the Game 

Stars of the World Game 

The Provinces: Ulster 

Ireland at Women’s World Cups 

Ireland at Men’s World Cups

Gerard Siggins was born in Dublin in 1962. Initially a sports journalist, he worked for many years in the Sunday Tribune, where he became assistant editor. He has written several books about cricket and rugby. His Rugby Spirit series has sold over 50,000 copies and is hugely popular with sports-loving children around the world. Gerard regularly visits schools to talk about his books.

Graham Corcoran is an illustrator based in Dublin, Ireland. He has previously illustrated two An Post Irish Book Award nominated children’s books, Dare to Dream by Sarah Webb and The Story of Croke Park by Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh.