Review: The Winter Game: Rediscovering the Passion of Rugby

Beginning with England’s triumphant World Cup win in November 2003 and culminating with the Lions Tour of New Zealand, Todd R. Nicholls examines rugby at each level in the major countries in which it is played. The author covers the origins, aims, and achievements of both the Super 12 and the Tri-Nations; assesses the background of the Zurich Premiership and how this competition fits into the world rugby calendar; interviews members of the 2005 Six Nations squads to ask their opinions on rugby’s current burning issues; reviews the state of the game in post-Apartheid South Africa; and concludes by examining whether or not rugby is in a healthier position now than it was when it was an amateur sport. Meticulously researched and breathtaking in scope, The Winter Game takes the reader on an exhilarating journey around the world of rugby over the past 18 months, and predicts what direction the game will take from here on in.