Shane: My Story

by Shane Williams, Delme Parfitt

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 defenses 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. 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 at 21, Williams lit up Wales’s 2003 World Cup campaign, toured with the British Lions to New Zealand in 2005, and went on to become an integral part of the Grand Slam-winning Wales side of 2005 and 2008. 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.

240 pages, Hardcover

First published October 2, 2008

Reviews

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

The facts of a great career in rugby are all there but all too little of the heart of the man. Far too much emphasis on after match antics and, for such an outstanding international, this is a very parochial view of a glittering career with a shallow narrative on relationships in the game. Struggles with confidence are shared but not in any depth so whilst it is an interesting read it's not as inspiring as it could have been. There's an awful lot that remains unwritten and I was left with the sense that the real Shane Williams is a whole lot more interesting than this portrayal.

[Mat Greener · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read 10 Welsh rugby autobiographies from last 20 years all have got slight differences as the players themselves have. So Shane is different to Alfie different to Mike Phillips etc. This only goes up to 2008 so misses the end 4 years. But is a very enjoyable read the cypress story is very wild.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having watched Shane light up my tv screen since his first international game, through to his last match wearing the red of Wales, it was inevitable that I would read this book. A great career, of which I'd seen a small part take shape. I saw the confident young man on the wing, who was not afraid to run into the heart of the worlds best defences. I saw the sidestepping wonder, who left the world's best wingers on the wrong foot, as he ghosted past. I read about how Shane had found himself in those positions. How fate had helped him along the way, in places. Doesn't it always. More than anything though, how much Shane had backed himself. Through hard work, dedication and the foresight to take the right advise at the right time, he became, Shane Williams, arguably the best winger Wales have ever had.

[Jeni Sharkey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love the little welsh rugby wizard! Was good to read about where he started off until the end of his career. What a legend :)