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Confessions of a Rugby Mercenary
by John Daniell
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We do this for money and for the love of the game - but mainly for the money.John Daniell is a rubgy mercenary. A brutal word for an often brutal game. In 1996, when Rugby Union turned professional, John emigrated to France where he played for a decade in top competitions. His team ricocheted between fear and ecstasy, as they battled to save the club from relegation and their careers from the scrap heap. Now he lifts the lid on the dark world of the journeyman player, where losing a home game is considered a crime, coaches and club owners will do anything to win, and agents ruthlessly manipulate players. His compelling confessions are both shocking and funny, taking you behind the scenes, onto the field and into the very heart of the scrum.
Recommended by
"This is quite a recent book, and it represents the genre of player biography. A large part of sports books output is player biography and autobiography. John Daniell wrote this himself, and it’s good because he’s a star player but not a superstar player. He wasn’t an international. It’s an authentic picture of what it’s like on the inside now to be a professional rugby player, just below the top level. You get insight you wouldn’t get from the six star players who are treated in a special way to offset the obstacles of their life. It’s fantastically honest and very well-written. It’s about how professionalism has meant that the players can play with their personal pride intact, but it has compromised team spirit – and there’s an inevitable selfishness in the way that professional players need to approach the game in order to earn a living. It’s almost certainly a Welshman. You pick between three or four. I think it probably has to be Gareth Edwards."