Simon Shaw: The Hard Yards: My Story

by Simon Shaw, Lawrence Dallaglio (Foreword)

Simon Shaw MBE has played more professional matches than any other player in English rugby history, which is remarkable given that he didn’t pick up a rugby ball until he was 16. With a World Cup winner’s medal in 2003, a runners-up medal in the 2007 competition, 50 England caps, and ten trophies won with London Wasps, Shaw is one of the biggest names in rugby. Yet, Shaw has experienced his fair share of disappointments. Sir Clive Woodward delivered the lowest blow, dropping him from the final World Cup squad in 2003, despite being named man of the match in the final warm-up fixture against Wales. Shaw eventually joined the England squad in Australia, replacing the injured Danny Grewcock, and was subsequently handed a winner’s medal in Sydney. But while Shaw partied with the rest of the players, he couldn’t forget that he was merely a late addition who didn’t play for a single minute during the tournament. Here the 6' 9" lock forward recollects his bittersweet memories of this time, and charts his eventful rise to the top, from the early days playing for Bristol to enduring success at both club and international level. He delivers his withering verdict on Woodward, reveals why he believes he was a better player than his arch rival for the England No. 4 jersey, Martin Johnson, and takes us inside the England and Wasps dressing rooms armed with his razor-sharp sense of humor and cutting put-downs. Simon Shaw is a big man with an even bigger story to tell, and no stone is left unturned in this candid autobiography.

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Simon Shaw studied at Cambridge University and the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He worked as an actor until the publication of his first novel, Murder Out of Tune, in 1988, since when he has concentrated mostly on writing and journalism. Killing Grace is his eigth novel. He is an assistant editor of The Week and is a regular book reviewer for The Mail on Sunday.