Allen & Unwin The Random History of Rugby book English Hardcover 128 pages

This is the story of rugby as never been told before: a jinking, weaving compilation of surreal match reports, spoof correspondence and quirky cartoons.

A lot of rucking and mauling has gone on since William Webb Ellis first picked up the ball and ran, but this doughty little book heroically manages to capture the true essence of the daddy of all oval ball games in just 80 minutes. This is the story of rugby as never been told before: a jinking, weaving compilation of surreal match reports, spoof correspondence and quirky cartoons.From the playing fields of Edwardian England's public schools to the canopied splendour of Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, the game's towering achievements, hilarious happenings and ludicrous coincidences are entertainingly recalled.

Iain Spragg is a sports journalist who has written for the Daily Telegraph and The Times. A former editor of the Rugby Icons website, he has also written many books on the subjects of sport, travel and humour, including The Jonny Wilkinson Story.Tony Husband is a much-admired cartoonist, whose work appears regularly in Private Eye for whom he created 'The Yobs'.