Rugby Journal

The Rugby Journal is the home of big rugby reads. A print quarterly that not only should take pride of place on any bookshelf, but one that digs deep into rugby unlike any other publication. Within the refined pages of the Rugby Journal, the greats (from Campese and Carling to Edwards and Isherwood) share their life stories, and a truly global game is explored, be it in Chile or China, Spain or Shetland, India or the Isle of Man. Rugby clubs aren’t just covered, they’re uncovered, revealing their past, present, and future through the many voices that make them what they are. And we’re not just talking about the Cardiffs, Castres, Bristols, and Bordeauxs of this world. It’s also about the Brixhams, Merthyrs, Clontarfs, and Stirlings. Every level of the game has incredible stories to tell, and the Rugby Journal is where you find them, beautifully told by the best storytellers.

RUGBY 32 • I was a ballboy when Gloucester visited Astley Park, the home of Brixham RFC in the Pilkington Cup, it was a rugby day I never forgot.

Rugby Journal

THE GAME • SAMOA HAVE BEEN A FIXTURE OF RUGBY WORLD CUPS SINCE 1991, BUT HOPING TO TAKE THEIR PLACE FOR THE 2027 EDITION WERE BELGIUM, A HUGELY IMPROVED SIDE WITH BIG AMBITIONS AND THE PACIFIC ISLANDERS IN THEIR SIGHTS

ENGLAND NEXT GEN • After ending an eight-year wait for a world crown, and then proving their mettle with England A, the country’s golden generation is finally ready for the game’s biggest stage.

SI LEDWITH CUP • When Matthew Lancett suffered a stroke in 2017, losing the left field of vision from both his eyes, he also lost his job and the life he’d always known. Depression came, he didn’t know what was coming next. And that was when rugby saved him.

SOPHIE DE GOEDE • AS SHE ADMINISTERED THE DRUGS FOR THE THIRD TIME THAT DAY, THROUGH A TUBE RUNNING 45 CENTIMETRES ALONG A VEIN IN HER ARM, SOPHIE DE GOEDE KNEW SHE WAS IN A RACE AGAINST HER OWN BODY TO MAKE THE RUGBY WORLD CUP. WHAT FOLLOWED WAS A COMEBACK FEW COULD HAVE EXPECTED, AND ONE THAT ONLY THE BEST RUGBY PLAYER IN THE WORLD COULD PULL OFF.

ZIMBABWE • In 1987, Zimbabwe joined the best sides on the planet in the inaugural World Cup. In that same year, Robert Mugabe became president, sparking a turbulent four decades. Now, as the country looks forward on all fronts, rugby is a sense of national pride once more, with qualification for the next Rugby World Cup secured.

YES, CHEF • AT THE SAVOY, TOM KIRBY WORKED WITH MILITARY PRECISION TO HELP FEED FIVE HUNDRED FIVE-STAR GUESTS IN ONE SITTING. AS HEAD CHEF OF ENGLAND RUGBY, IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT COOKING A LAKE’S WORTH OF SALMON, A SMALL HERD OF BEEF, AND MORE EGGS THAN YOU’VE EVER SEEN, IT’S DOING IT WITH A BIT OF STYLE AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, AN AWFUL LOT OF TASTE.

UKAF REMEMBRANCE GAME • EVEN AFTER RUNNING IN THE TRIES FOR BATH AND ENGLAND, REPRESENTING THE MILITARY MEANS MORE THAN ANYTHING TO FIJIAN-BORN SEMESA ROKODUGUNI. AND WHEN UKAF FACED GERMANY AT KINGSHOLM, HE WASN’T ALONE, THIS GAME WAS ABOUT MORE THAN JUST A SCORELINE.

LEN IKITAU • BORN IN BRISBANE WITH SAMOAN ROOTS, THE ALL BLACKS SEEMED TO BE THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL PORT OF CALL FOR LEN IKITAU. THEN, IT WAS AUSTRALIA AND LEAGUE, BEFORE UNION CAME BACK INTO HIS LIFE, EVENTUALLY LEADING TO HIM BECOMING ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING WALLABIES OF HIS GENERATION.

PETER WINTERBOTTOM • The blond hair earned him the moniker ‘Straw Man’, but Peter Winterbottom was anything but. Built of farming stock, strengthened by seasons in New Zealand and South Africa, he became one of England’s legendary opensides. But when he made his international debut, few, including the man himself, thanks to one individual, could remember he was even on the pitch.

MIKE DUNAFON • THE SON OF A MARLBORO MAN, WITH AMBITIONS TO PLAY IN THE NFL, AND WHO MADE VIDEOS FOR WYCLEF JEAN,...