Robert Kitson

Around the World in 80 Minutes: In Search of Rugby Greatness Robert Kitson

A celebration of rugby's 'golden age' written by one of its leading authorities - with contributions from some of the sport's greatest names. Published to coincide with the 2023 Rugby World Cup and the 200th anniversary of the sport's birth. Few sports have had a more eventful last 50 years than rugby union.

Even fewer involve such a range of different cultures, contrasting characters or diverse geographical settings. With the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France and the 200th anniversary of the game's 'birth' on the horizon, Around the World in 80 Minutes sets out to find the game's most inspiring people and places. Observant, amusing and thought-provoking, the book takes readers on a global journey to meet key figures from rugby's 'golden age' between 1973 and 2023.

From big names to quietly influential pioneers, the world's most inspiring and remarkable rugby personalities from both hemispheres will be sharing their stories and reliving the greatest rugby moments of the past half century. While the tournament is set to elevate rugby's global profile to unprecedented levels, the sport is approaching something of an existential crossroads. Around the World in 80 Minutes reflects on the modern game's health and hears from the battered gladiators of yesteryear, considering some pertinent questions: Does rugby still have an identifiable soul? Do traditional perceptions of the game need updating? Has its old rugged charm faded? What does its future look like?After five decades of playing, watching and reporting worldwide, few are better placed to understand the bigger picture than Robert Kitson, rugby union correspondent for The Guardian and author of Exe Men, winner of the 2021 Telegraph Rugby Book of the Year award.

Packed full of interviews and anecdotes, this is essential reading for all rugby fans, young and old. It will transport readers through the sport's heyday, as Robert speaks with all the big names along the way, including Gareth Edwards, Gavin Hastings, Liza Burgess, Stuart Barnes, Michael Lynagh, Gill Burns, Sean Fitzpatrick, Will Carling, Brian Moore, Francois Pienaar, Clive Woodward, Johnny Wilkinson, Maggie Alphonsi, Warren Gatland, Brian O'Driscoll, Maro Itoje and Alun Wyn Jones.