Overview

Power and influence in rugby is shifting away from its historical tie to international on-field success, much of it in the southern hemisphere, to the boardrooms of cashed-up, influential rugby clubs in the UK and France. A confused rugby calendar is subjected to a 'land grab' from clubs and national unions, all striving to maximise revenue. Player welfare concerns are cited by all and sundry, yet are cast aside as soon as there is a dollar to be made. Told through the eyes of rugby identities from around the world, this is a fascinating story of a once staunchly amateur sport now fully engulfed in the clutches of professionalism--the future uncertain and the fabric of 'the game they play in heaven' straining under the excesses and ambitions of rugby's new powerbrokers.

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9781925635744

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This book is much more than an entertaining snapshot of rugby's present, it is also provides an essential window to the enormous global challenges the great game faces. Dylan Cleaver, sports editor-at-large, NZ Herald One of the must-read sports books of the year, a compelling account of Rugby's battle to save its soul in the professional era. Spiro Zavos, rugby author and columnist Ever wondered how the business of rugby works? This book will guide you through the moral and financial maze and will make you think long and hard about the future of professional rugby union. Robert Kitson, The Guardian It's what rugby-lovers love most about the game, it's nuances and, yes, even its complexity. But what 'A World in Union Conflict' really demonstrates is how nuanced and complex rugby has become in the 21st Century. Globally, the sport is booming but author Geoff Parkes, in his engrossing and provocative work, lays bare the critical choices rugby administrators must face in the coming years. Wayne Smith, The Australian Rugby union's tectonic plates are shifting, threatening the stability of the sport little more than 20 years after it turned professional. The major southern hemisphere unions, which have largely driven playing standards over the years, are having to divert money away from the grassroots to fund their professional sides to counter the financial muscle of clubs in England and France. Geoff Parkes' timely and meticulously researched book looks at both sides of a growing divide as more players migrate from the south to the north. It highlights the lack of a joined-up response from the major governing bodies whose self-interest is undermining the foundations of a sport where until now, unlike football, the international game has been the economic and social driver. Paul Rees, The Guardian

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