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The Death of Rugby: Neil Back's Story
Fourteen years since his autobiography, Size Doesn't Matter, English rugby's most decorated flanker, Neil Back, returns with a tale of triumphs, heartaches and broken promises. From his anti-hero role as 'The Hand of Back' in Leicester Tigers' European Cup triumph over Munster, to Grand Slam glory and the 2003 World Cup with England, Neil is never far from the story. The Death of Rugby dissects the Lions' disastrous 2005 tour of New Zealand, the ousting of his mentor Dean Richards from Leicester Tigers, and Neil's three years in charge of Leeds, before being recruited by The Rugby Football Club, and why Neil and his colleagues had to walk away, despite an unbeaten season, and league and cup double. Neil deals with the adjustment from professional sportsman into family and regular working life, despite a critical illness in 2013, which has shaped his perspective on life.
- GenresAutobiography
160 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 3, 2015
20 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 1, 2021
Interesting but lacking the excitement of his earlier autobiography. This maybe because a significant part of the book recounts a series of disappointments experienced by the author subsequent to the 2003 Rugby World Cup. He found he was no longer an automatic choice for the England team and shortly after retired from international rugby. His beloved Tigers were going through a period of transition so were no longer the team they were. He does make a successful move into a coaching role, initially as one of a team at Tigers and then as head coach at Leeds and Rugby Lions. It was apparent that he had ambitions to coach a Premier League side but was thwarted by a “lack of ambition” from the hierarchy at Leeds and financial “skulduggery” at Rugby. It is this latter episode that pervades the book. Back and the rest of the coaching team as well as the players were all taken in by a conman who presented them with a plan which, in retrospect, was too good to be true. It left everyone out of pocket but also embittered. Hence the title of the book.
Since rugby has taken a back seat in the author’s life. He has spent a lot more of his time with family, found employment in business ventures and enjoyed the academic and sporting achievements of his two children.
Since rugby has taken a back seat in the author’s life. He has spent a lot more of his time with family, found employment in business ventures and enjoyed the academic and sporting achievements of his two children.
May 20, 2019
"25 pints on a Saturday night after a game, three more to was down Sunday's lunch" they don't make them like Neil Back anymore.
April 27, 2017
For me this was definitely a book of two halves. The first part dealt with the latter stages of Neil Back's playing career which climaxed when he was part of England's World Cup winning team in 2003. Not much new there then.
Once Back had retired the book becomes far more interesting as the former Leicester Tigers star dips his toes in the coaching pool. He had all the necessary experience and qualifications to succeed; he was an outstanding player with a deep understanding of the game, he had already had some coaching experience while still playing, he had a very close empathy with players and, quite frankly, he comes over in this book as a good bloke.
The Death of Rugby catalogues where it all went wrong. Neil starts at Leeds where, after initial success, the upward trend peters out due to lack of investment by the board and then tries his luck at Edinburgh where the powers that be are again unable to give him, and his colleagues, the support necessary for success. Then, in the most fascinating part of the book, he takes on the Head Coach role at Rugby, a club languishing in the middle reaches of the League pyramid. Unfortunately the owner turns out to be a complete charlatan and reading of the awful year that Neil, the rest of the coaching team and the players, spent at Rugby provides a salutary message for all who are tempted to listen to dubious business people. Unfortunately professional sport is infested with such people and often this leaves decent people with good intentions like Neil Back clutching thin air.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen and Two Families at war, all published by Sacristy Press
Once Back had retired the book becomes far more interesting as the former Leicester Tigers star dips his toes in the coaching pool. He had all the necessary experience and qualifications to succeed; he was an outstanding player with a deep understanding of the game, he had already had some coaching experience while still playing, he had a very close empathy with players and, quite frankly, he comes over in this book as a good bloke.
The Death of Rugby catalogues where it all went wrong. Neil starts at Leeds where, after initial success, the upward trend peters out due to lack of investment by the board and then tries his luck at Edinburgh where the powers that be are again unable to give him, and his colleagues, the support necessary for success. Then, in the most fascinating part of the book, he takes on the Head Coach role at Rugby, a club languishing in the middle reaches of the League pyramid. Unfortunately the owner turns out to be a complete charlatan and reading of the awful year that Neil, the rest of the coaching team and the players, spent at Rugby provides a salutary message for all who are tempted to listen to dubious business people. Unfortunately professional sport is infested with such people and often this leaves decent people with good intentions like Neil Back clutching thin air.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen and Two Families at war, all published by Sacristy Press
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews