Product Description

Shane Williams has spent almost a decade thrilling the rugby world with his evasive running skills and a box of tricks that has left the best defences grasping thin air, disproving the notion that size matters in modern professional rugby. He's been called the little wizard, the artful dodger and a whole host of other superlatives, and wherever Williams has played, the crowd have been on the edge of their seats. As his teenage years came to an end, Williams looked set for a life of relative obscurity playing scrum-half for his local side, Amman United, and scratching around in a variety of day jobs. All that changed, however, when he was plucked from nowhere by then Neath coach Lyn Jones, and his rise to become Wales' most dangerous strike runner was meteoric. Following his international debut aged 21, Williams lit up Wales' 2003 World Cup campaign and went on to become an integral part of the Grand Slam-winning side of 2005, a year in which he also toured with the British Lions to New Zealand. In 2008, when Wales took the Grand Slam once more, he made a sensational contribution to the side's glorious victory. After leading the great Bryan Habana a merry dance on the way to two mesmerising tries on Wales' tour to South Africa just two months later, Williams became the first Welshman crowned IRB World Player of the Year that autumn. He then completed the 2008-09 season with a second Lions tour, touching down twice in the 28-9 third Test victory against the Springboks. In "Shane", Williams reveals the inside story of his incredible rugby career so far, the personal trials that have come with success and how he has managed to defy the odds to become a living Welsh rugby legend.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10909 in Books
• Published on: 2009-10-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

From the Back Cover
Shane Williams has spent almost a decade thrilling the rugby world with his evasive running skills and a box of tricks that has left the best defences grasping thin air, disproving the notion that size matters in modern professional rugby. He's been called the little wizard, the artful dodger and a whole host of other superlatives, but wherever Williams has played, the crowd have been on the edge of their seats.

When he entered his 20s, Williams looked set for a life of relative obscurity playing scrum half for his local side, Amman United, and scratching around in a variety of day jobs. All that was to change, however, when he was plucked from nowhere by then Neath coach Lyn Jones, and his rise to become Wales's most dangerous strike runner was meteoric. Following his international debut aged 21, Williams lit up Wales’s 2003 World Cup campaign, and went on to become an integral part of the Grand Slam-winning Wales side of 2005, a year in which he also toured with the British Lions to New Zealand. In 2008, when Wales took the Grand Slam once more, he made an invaluable contribution to the side's glorious victory.

In Shane, Williams reveals the inside story of his incredible rugby career so far, the personal trials that have come with success and how he has managed to defy the odds to become a living Welsh rugby legend. [correct as at 20-3-08].

About the Author
Shane Williams broke the record for most tries scored for Wales during the 2008 Six Nations tournament and is the current IRB World Player of the Year. Delme Parfitt is head of sport content at the South Wales Echo and is the co-author of autobiographies by Gareth Thomas and Mark Ring.

Customer Reviews

A really good read
As a Welshman and a huge rugby fan I obviously think Shane Williams is some sort of god. However, when I got this book as a gift I was just thought "why?" how interesting could it really be?! I read the first chapter about the recent tour to South Africa, which was brilliantly written, but i thought it was just what i had expected, Shane Williams writing about rugby. But after this there isn't really much talk of rugby, well, there obviously is, but not in the manner you would've thought. The route that he took to get to be the superstar he is today is not a clear-cut as you would think.
Once i picked the book up, i read it for literally hours on end. It really is a fantastic book. I would highly suggest if you're a rugby fan like me.....except yours will not be as good as mine because mine is signed by the man himself: P

read and read and read
I love this book, it really gives you an insight into his life on and off the pitch. I like it so much I must have re-read it at least three times. If you are a Shane Williams fan, or even just a rugby fan, you should buy this book.