Praise for Rugby Book
Christmas came early for Professor Tony Collins, School of Cultural Studies. His book 'A Social History of English Rugby Union' has already been named as one of the books of 2009 by the 'Independent on Sunday' and the 'New Statesman'.
The book traces the history of the 15-a-side code from its origins at Rugby School to the professional media-driven sport of today. The New Statesman's former editor Peter Wilby described it as 'an unexpected treat' which showed 'how the sport clung to amateurism and froze out the working classes for over a century'.
In the Independent on Sunday Simon Redfern praised it as 'entertainingly unstuffy' while ironically wondering whether today's England side had taken up some of the outmoded habits of the past highlighted in the book.
"For an academic history book to be praised by the mainstream media is a great honour," said Tony. "It demonstrates how scholarly research in the humanities can have a big impact on the national stage."
Since then Tony has also had an extensive interview on the social history of rugby in the 'Irish Examiner' on 2 February 2010. Click here to see an online version of the article.
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