REVIEW: The Rugby League Miscellany, by David Lawrenson

Bored of reading the same old books? The Rugby League Miscellany sees author David Lawrenson highlight some of rugby league’s finest moments in entertaining style.

One particularly revealing section details the bravery of rugby league’s unassuming players.

Remember Roger Millward playing 67 minutes of the 1980 Challenge Cup Final with a broken jaw? Or Shaun Edwards managing more than an hour in the 1990 Challenge Cup Final with a double fracture of an eye socket and a depressed cheekbone?

Brave? Yes.

But as Lawrenson points out, “the heroics of Great Britain skipper Alan Prescott top the lot”.

Prescott famously broke his arm just three minutes into a 1958 Ashes match in Brisbane – only to play on and carry his team to a 25-18 victory.

Lively and engaging

Nobody can accuse The Rugby League Miscellany of being a heavy read.

Chapters are brief, they are written in a lively and engaging voice, and the old – profiles of Eddie Waring, Billy Boston and Tom Van Vollenhoven – mixes effortlessly with the new to create the kind of book you can pick up whenever you’ve got a spare couple of minutes.

To complete the package, Martin Offiah writes an interesting foreword explaining his own introduction to rugby league.

Next time you’ve got a gift to buy, this book is perfect stocking-filler material for any rugby league fan.

‘The Rugby League Miscellany’, by David Lawrenson, is out now. ISBN 978-1905326303, published by Vision Sports Publishing. It is available to buy here.