A Complete History of the Rugby World Cup: In Pursuit of Bill

Lance Peatey

Oct 2020 · Superspot Pty Limited · Narrated by Dryw McArthur

About this audiobook

Immerse yourself in the drama and excitement of the Rugby World Cup – including clips from the iconic "World in Union" theme song (by Hayley Westenra) and supporting sound effects from rugby’s greatest stage.
You can go behind the scenes of “the game they play in heaven”, and find out how it was the forefather to all rugby football codes and also American football. What if you could be in the room where decisions were made that brought to life what is now the third largest sporting event in the world?
Lance Peatey is an established media business leader with a career spanning more than 20 years, working for major global media organizations including Disney/ESPN, BBC, IMG Media, and both the Nine Network and Seven Network in Australia. It was while working with Seven during Rugby World Cup 2003 that Lance first decided to write A Complete History of the Rugby World Cup – In Pursuit of Bill.
The first edition in 2007 earned impressive reviews, including David Llewellyn from The Independent describing it as “a minor masterpiece.” Lance has also assisted former Australian rugby star flanker David Pocock with two editions of his autobiography “Openside” in 2011 and 2018.
This first ever audio book edition comes after the historic and colourful 2019 tournament in Japan. Narrated by Dryw McArthur and with clips from the iconic rugby anthem "World in Union" sung by Hayley Westenra, plus ambient sounds from rugby’s greatest stage, it will give you:
- All the drama and excitement across the nine Rugby World Cup tournaments played from 1987 to 2019.
- Fresh highlights from the Japan 2019 tournament, as World Rugby pushed into Asia for the very first time.
- The history of rugby union, and the formation of rival codes that pushed its evolution to professionalism.
- Rare insights to heated boardroom politics that almost quashed the pinnacle event from ever happening.
This is a must read/listen for newly initiated rugby fans right through to the more seasoned devotees

About the author

Lance Peatey is an Australian author who gained a passion for rugby from a young age when attending school at Marist College Ashgrove in Brisbane. That passion was sealed for life when he woke in the early hours of the morning in 1991 to watch the Wallabies claim their first Rugby World Cup title with victory over England in the final. After completing a Journalism degree at QueenslandUniversity of Technology, Lance is now an established media business leader with a career spanning more than 20 years across four continents, working for major global media organizations including Disney/ESPN, BBC, IMG Media, and both the Nine Network and Seven Network in Australia.It was while working with Seven during Rugby World Cup 2003 that Lance first decided to write A Complete History of the Rugby World Cup, and the first edition was published in the UK after the 2007 tournament. That first edition earned impressive reviews in the UK, including David Llewellyn from The Independent describing it as "a minor masterpiece". There have been three print editions published since 2007, and this first ever audio book edition comes after the historic and colourful 2019 tournament in Japan. Lance has also assisted former Wallabies star flanker David Pocock with two editions of his autobiography "Openside", and he is a member on various rugby committees devoted to developing the game from grassroots to international level.