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Winning!
'There is so much more to the man than single-minded determination.' Sunday Telegraph
'His first day in the job of England coach is superbly described, and thereafter he is forever going the extra yard to make his team great.' Sunday Times
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Winning! tells a remarkable story - an unforgettable journey that began in September 1997 and took the English Rugby Team team from the lower ranks of international first-class rugby to the top as World Cup Champions.
Sir Clive Woodward and his team mounted a campaign of vast change, great learning, team building and clear vision to achieve their aim. 'We would question everything, change anything and leave no stone unturned,' he writes.
WINNING! will talk about the team's journey of innovation and discovery and will reveal exactly how it happened, the fundamentals of their success and how these principles can be applied to any human endeavour. 'We changed the way we coached, the way we played and, of equal importance, how we operated off the field.' Bringing his business management skills to the game, Woodward simplified the entire approach to the structure of the team and created new management systems both on and off the pitch.
In an anecdotal style, Clive Woodward entertains and informs while he describes the thrilling build-up to England's World Cup triumph in 2003.
'His first day in the job of England coach is superbly described, and thereafter he is forever going the extra yard to make his team great.' Sunday Times
__________
Winning! tells a remarkable story - an unforgettable journey that began in September 1997 and took the English Rugby Team team from the lower ranks of international first-class rugby to the top as World Cup Champions.
Sir Clive Woodward and his team mounted a campaign of vast change, great learning, team building and clear vision to achieve their aim. 'We would question everything, change anything and leave no stone unturned,' he writes.
WINNING! will talk about the team's journey of innovation and discovery and will reveal exactly how it happened, the fundamentals of their success and how these principles can be applied to any human endeavour. 'We changed the way we coached, the way we played and, of equal importance, how we operated off the field.' Bringing his business management skills to the game, Woodward simplified the entire approach to the structure of the team and created new management systems both on and off the pitch.
In an anecdotal style, Clive Woodward entertains and informs while he describes the thrilling build-up to England's World Cup triumph in 2003.
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First published September 13, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
September 7, 2017
Wasn't sure if I'd like this book as it would clearly focus on English rugby and as an Irish rugby fan, England is not a topic I'm all that interested in! That said, there's more to this book than rugby. A lot of it covers mindset and processes involved in creating something successful. Contained are a lot of ideas that were very new at the time and the author is a very interesting individual in how he was open minded in bringing all these ideas together. It's a combination of sports book, autobiography and self help, so I'd say if you like reading about these kinds of topics, you'll like this book.
April 17, 2018
The language in this book is too simplistic and in some areas static to elicit the response I think Clive intended. However, as someone fascinated in rugby but too young to really remember that period it was interesting to read. This was especially so with the number of different specialists that he bought in from a variety of fields. The area I really enjoyed was learning more about Clive's early life. Overall, in an enjoying read but not particular memorable.
May 14, 2019
Very much fact based, more akin to a report than a book but interesting nevertheless.
As a rugby fan I found Woodward’s description of dragging the RFU into the 21st century interesting as was the description of the processes put in place to make England Rugby the force it is today.
As an aside my son purchased this book in hard back second hand, imagine my surprise to find it was a signed copy.
As a rugby fan I found Woodward’s description of dragging the RFU into the 21st century interesting as was the description of the processes put in place to make England Rugby the force it is today.
As an aside my son purchased this book in hard back second hand, imagine my surprise to find it was a signed copy.
April 16, 2019
Read this book as a teen and was enthralled by the way Woodward transformed the England team into world beaters through the application of business principles to the professional era of rugby. Years on, it's still a great story, but you get the sense it's more a business book than a "warts-and-all" recollection of the England team's journey. Still, really interesting stuff
January 15, 2018
Took a lot from this book. It's obviously really interesting to hear all about the different things that happened in the camp,but the book is much more about improvement and is written in such a way as to get across the methodical and well thought out approach to making a team - any team - better.
October 15, 2025
I loved this autobiography. It’s great for rugby lovers or those who know nothing about the game.
It was great to see how such tiny changes can create a winning team, paired with honest reviews of mistakes.
It was great to see how such tiny changes can create a winning team, paired with honest reviews of mistakes.
January 9, 2019
More than rugby .... a great business guide as well
January 11, 2020
Amazing!!!
Loved every bit of it. Gave a true insight into what they all went through to bring glory to england!!!!
Loved every bit of it. Gave a true insight into what they all went through to bring glory to england!!!!
December 12, 2021
Probably a cash-in book but has some good stories and business advice.
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January 12, 2024Available from Darren Schindler in paperback
August 3, 2025
Fascinating, Great insight.
August 6, 2025
Enjoyable read.
April 5, 2016
When I picked this book off the library shelf I was in two minds about reading it. A quick browse revealed many coaching flow charts and diagrams along with business related topics, but I knew little of Clive Woodward's background, his coaching career and why he moved on so quickly after England's rugby World Cup success in 2003. So the book came home with me, and I made the right choice.
For readers interested in the Union game, or for coaches of any sport, 'Winning' is quite a revelation. Having recently read Sir Alex Ferguson's 'Leading', Sir Clive Woodward's tome is in a different league. To say that Woodward took the England set up into a whole other plane in the six years of his tenure is certainly a gross understatement. The first full-time coach of the national team in 1997, he rebuilt what was a dilapidated amateur R.F.U., and dragged it, kicking and screaming into the elite professional organisation whose team rose to the top of the world rankings and beat all the southern hemisphere giants in the World Cup tournament of 2003 in Australia.
Typically, for me, on the 22nd November 2003 I was in the U.S. and missed the party.
Here was the first England World Cup win since the 1966 football victory. 'In both matches England's opponents scored first. On both occasions, England hit back just six minutes later- in '66 with a header by Geoff Hurst and in '03 with a penalty kick by Jonny Wilkinson. Hurst and Wilkinson wore the number 10 shirt. In both matches, England led the game until the last minute of normal time. On both occasions England had seemed in control, only for a never-say-die opposition to equalise with the last kick of the game in regulation time. There was a member of the Cohen family in both teams, George Cohen in '66 and his nephew Ben Cohen in '03, some thirty-seven years later. England secured victory in both matches in the dying seconds of extra time. It had been thirty-seven years since England won the Football World Cup in 1966, thirty-seven years between England's two World Cup glories. The final score of England 20-Australia 17 adds up to 37!'
For readers interested in the Union game, or for coaches of any sport, 'Winning' is quite a revelation. Having recently read Sir Alex Ferguson's 'Leading', Sir Clive Woodward's tome is in a different league. To say that Woodward took the England set up into a whole other plane in the six years of his tenure is certainly a gross understatement. The first full-time coach of the national team in 1997, he rebuilt what was a dilapidated amateur R.F.U., and dragged it, kicking and screaming into the elite professional organisation whose team rose to the top of the world rankings and beat all the southern hemisphere giants in the World Cup tournament of 2003 in Australia.
Typically, for me, on the 22nd November 2003 I was in the U.S. and missed the party.
Here was the first England World Cup win since the 1966 football victory. 'In both matches England's opponents scored first. On both occasions, England hit back just six minutes later- in '66 with a header by Geoff Hurst and in '03 with a penalty kick by Jonny Wilkinson. Hurst and Wilkinson wore the number 10 shirt. In both matches, England led the game until the last minute of normal time. On both occasions England had seemed in control, only for a never-say-die opposition to equalise with the last kick of the game in regulation time. There was a member of the Cohen family in both teams, George Cohen in '66 and his nephew Ben Cohen in '03, some thirty-seven years later. England secured victory in both matches in the dying seconds of extra time. It had been thirty-seven years since England won the Football World Cup in 1966, thirty-seven years between England's two World Cup glories. The final score of England 20-Australia 17 adds up to 37!'
December 11, 2014
Amazing achievement, to win the world cup and dominate the southern hemisphere teams is a testament to the Clive's leadership ability and his rugby knowledge. The book was an easy read but I would have liked a little more of an insight into the players, unfortunately Clive said explicitly at the outset that he would not betray confidences so I guess we have to respect him for that. All in all a very satisfying, illuminating read.
October 12, 2015
For any aspiring coaches of all sport
I consider this man a genius...not only for his clear love of rugby but for his tactical thinking and ability to think outside the box...good read for any coach out there
I consider this man a genius...not only for his clear love of rugby but for his tactical thinking and ability to think outside the box...good read for any coach out there
December 20, 2008
Good read, but he doesn't reveal all unfortunately.
Great to see the development over the six years since he started the job.
Great to see the development over the six years since he started the job.
March 14, 2012
I enjoyed this. More a business book and written in quite a stilted way but some interesting ideas and attitude.
September 30, 2012
Interesting background to England's world rugby win, and how to build a great high performance team in sport or business
March 6, 2014
Excellent primer in leadership, using the rugby world cup as s backdrop.
February 9, 2025
This rates still as one of the best books I have read.
November 28, 2019
One of the first rugby biographies I read - so a real eye opener to the complexity and level of professionalism that is brought to the modern game.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews