About this ebook
As player, manager, and pundit, Donal Lenihan has seen it all in the world of rugby - and done much of it too. A victorious captain of Munster Junior and Senior Schools, he went on to skipper the Ireland team at the inaugural Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in 1987 and was a fixture in the second row for over a decade, winning two Triple Crowns and three Five Nations championships. Selected for three British & Irish Lions tours, he was famous for skippering the unbeaten side nicknamed 'Donal's Doughnuts', before taking charge of both Ireland and the Lions as manager.
From such a stellar position at the heart of the rugby world, Donal Lenihan has a wealth of stories to tell from both on and off the pitch, from raucous antics on tour to the sometimes difficult fellowship of players in a time of Troubles. He delves deeply into Cork and Munster culture and the influence on his career of his family. And as a much-respected analyst, Donal is also not short on voicing his opinion on the rights and wrongs of the modern game, and how the transition from the amateur to the professional era has affected the heart and soul of rugby.
Full of wit, insight and emotional sincerity, this is a rugby book for the ages by a sporting great.
From such a stellar position at the heart of the rugby world, Donal Lenihan has a wealth of stories to tell from both on and off the pitch, from raucous antics on tour to the sometimes difficult fellowship of players in a time of Troubles. He delves deeply into Cork and Munster culture and the influence on his career of his family. And as a much-respected analyst, Donal is also not short on voicing his opinion on the rights and wrongs of the modern game, and how the transition from the amateur to the professional era has affected the heart and soul of rugby.
Full of wit, insight and emotional sincerity, this is a rugby book for the ages by a sporting great.
Ratings and reviews
5.0
1 review
Patrick O'Neill
- Flag inappropriate
October 9, 2016
A fascinating, multi dimensional view of rugby and it's evolution from the last days of amateurism into the professional era. The author, as a leading rugby journalist, six nations winning player, former Ireland captain and manager of Ireland and the Lions, has a unique story to tell and has the ability to express it all in memorable detail. The book charts Donal's early life, his career as a player, coach and manager as well as his transition into covering the sport as a journalist. He can't hide his love for his club, province and country but it's his true love for the game that any rugby fan will be able relate to and makes the book a joy to read. The book moves along at a great pace and the chapters are short and concise. It ends with a very interesting thesis on the future of rugby which challenges the reader as to their definition of 'sport' (both at the amateur and professional level) in the now 2016 'marginal gains' era of professional sport.
About the author
Donal Lenihan was born in Cork on 12 September 1959 and educated at Christian Brothers School and UCC, leading rugby teams at all age levels, including Ireland schools, and winning multiple honours. A loyal servant of Cork Constitution and Munster, Lenihan won the first of his 52 senior Ireland caps against Australia in November 1981, at the age of 22, and played in eleven Five Nations championships and two World Cups, captaining his country 17 times, before playing his final Test match against Wales in January 1992. He went on to manage both Ireland and the British & Irish Lions and is now a much-respected analyst of the game for RTE and columnist with the Irish Examiner.
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
