More Than Rugby by Spies, Pierre
More Than Rugby
The Inspiring Chronicle of Faith, Resilience, and the Miraculous Comeback of a Springbok Powerhouse
The Inspiring Chronicle of Faith, Resilience, and the Miraculous Comeback of a Springbok Powerhouse
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: More Than Rugby
- Author: Pierre Spies (with Wim de Villiers)
- Publisher: Penguin Books (South Africa) / Penguin Global
- Publication Date: 2011
- ISBN-10: 014352816X
- ISBN-13: 9780143528166
- Edition Details: First Edition, First Printing. Standard Softcover Release.
- Binding: Original publisher's premium illustrated heavy-gauge card wrappers with a high-gloss protective finish (paperback).
- Physical Format: Octavo (8vo), 200 pages. Fully enhanced with a central repository of vivid colour and historical black-and-white photographs documenting his schoolboy athletic triumphs, international test matches, and private family moments.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Used - Very Good (VG)
- Exterior / Wraps: The original illustrated wraps are in beautiful, well-maintained condition. The front and back panels remain flat, clean, and vibrant, showing only very slight, limited signs of superficial shelf-wear along the edges. The spine is completely crisp, straight, and uncreased with a perfect, unbroken binding that shows no linear shelf-lean or storage distortion.
- Interior: The text block is structurally solid, exceptionally tight, and remarkably clean. All 200 pages are completely intact and entirely free of user highlighting, ink signatures, ex-libris library stamps, dog-eared foldouts, or standard dealer pencil markings. A highly crisp copy that has been preserved with care.
- The Dust Jacket: Not Applicable (As Issued)
Synopsis & Historical Value
Published in 2011 ahead of the Rugby World Cup, More Than Rugby is the deeply moving, autobiographical account of one of South Africa’s most physically gifted and inspiring athletes: Pierre Spies. At the absolute apex of his early international career, Spies was hit with the devastating news that blood clots in his lungs could end his rugby career permanently—and potentially his life. Bypassing standard sports clichés, this book delivers an immediate, raw window into the immense psychological and spiritual grit required to overcome adversity.
Spies strips down the journey of his meteoric rise from a schoolboy phenomenon to a towering Springbok No. 8 and a cornerstone of the legendary Blue Bulls era. He recounts the terrifying moment his world shattered right before the 2007 Rugby World Cup, his profound reliance on his Christian faith, and the miraculous medical turnaround that allowed him to return to elite sport and win multiple Super Rugby titles. This used collectible book stands as a powerful inspirational document, making it a highly desirable collectible copy for sports historians, Bulls fans, and biography collectors alike.
Author Profile: Pierre Spies
Pierre Spies is an iconic former South African rugby union player, widely regarded as one of the most explosive and athletically dominant loose forwards of the modern era. Standing 6 ft 4 in and weighing over 110 kg, his legendary physical attributes—combining sprinting speed with immense power—made him a lethal weapon for both Northern Transvaal (the Blue Bulls) and the Springboks, earning him 53 international test caps. Off the field, Spies is equally celebrated for his deep faith, motivational speaking, and unyielding integrity.
Assisted by respected sports writer Wim de Villiers, Spies provides an authentic primary historical record that explores the deeper intersection of professional sport, personal tragedy, and spiritual conviction. His narrative offers profound insights into elite locker-room dynamics, the pressures of international superstardom, and what it truly means to establish a legacy that extends far beyond the rugby field.
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