Product Description

Tours by the British and Irish Lions to the great rugby strongholds of the Southern Hemisphere have always held a special place in the history of the game. The epic five-month odyssey undertaken by the first post-war lions in 1950 was no exception. They played 29 matches, including six tests, in new Zealand and Australia and another in Ceylon. Led by the Irish hooker Karl Mullen, their style of open rugby captured the imagination of everyone who saw them play and they were hailed as the most popular team to ever tour New Zealand. The thirty players (plus only one replacement) drawn from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales then went on to win a test series in Australia and play a pioneering game in Ceylon on the way home. For the first time, the full story of the 1950 Lions' achievements is told through the reminiscences of the survivors, previously unpublished players' diaries, and a unique and comprehensive private collection of action photographs and memorabilia that capture the spirit of early post-war international rugby and the charismatic individuals that helped it to flourish. This is a fantastic collection of unpublished material. It is the private collection of one of the players who went on the tour and includes action shots, behind the scenes images of what they got up to in their spare time, immaculate programmes from every game played as well as day by day diary with anecdotes and stories that capture the essence of this tour when players played for the love of the game and made friendships and gathered memories that have lasted a lifetime.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #509546 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-14
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

About the Author
Alan Evans has worked on many rugby titles including The Barbarians: The United Nations of Rugby. The author has contact with the other six players from the tour who are still alive and the book will include interviews with them.