The Encyclopedia of Rugby Union by Sommerville, Donald
The Encyclopedia of Rugby Union
The Definitive, Cross-Hemispheric Reference Compendium of Historic Tournaments, Legend Profiles, and Global Sporting Records
The Definitive, Cross-Hemispheric Reference Compendium of Historic Tournaments, Legend Profiles, and Global Sporting Records
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: The Encyclopedia of Rugby Union
- Author: Donald Sommerville
- Publisher: Aurum Press Ltd, London
- Publication Date: 1 October 1997
- ISBN-10: 1854104810
- ISBN-13: 9781854104816
- Edition Details: First Edition, First Printing. Deluxe Hardcover Reference Release.
- Binding: Original publisher’s premium heavy-gauge cloth-bound hardcover casing with gold-stamped spine lettering.
- Physical Format: Large Quarto (4to), 176 pages. Richly enhanced with full-colour and black-and-white action photography, dynamic layout profiles, country-by-country development timelines, and extensive statistical records.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Used - Very Good (VG)
- Exterior / Boards: The original large-format hardcover boards present in beautiful, structurally sound condition. The panels sit perfectly flat, clean, and defensively square, with minimal shelf wear restricted to the bottom shelving margins. The spine is completely straight and unbroken, keeping its block shape firmly without linear shelf-lean or internal binding sag.
- Interior: The internal text block is robustly bound, tight, and highly crisp. All 176 high-grade pages are clean, bright white, and completely intact. Entirely free of traditional user highlighting, underlying annotations, ex-libris library stamps, owner name inscriptions, or folded dog-ears. A beautifully preserved reference copy.
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The Dust Jacket: Used - Very Good (VG)
- Condition Detail: The original illustrated paper dust jacket is present, whole, and completely intact. The jacket face panels display their original vibrant coloration and high contrast, showing only minimal, microscopic signs of edge friction along the extreme tips from standard safe domestic handling. Completely free of sun-fading on the spine or heavy open tears.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Published in October 1997—released immediately following the iconic British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa and right at the dawn of the professional era—The Encyclopedia of Rugby Union stands as an invaluable, comprehensive visual time capsule of the sport's amateur legacy and early modern evolution. This masterfully compiled volume follows the expansion of Rugby Union from its absolute legendary beginnings at Rugby School, tracking how the game systematically developed within every major country across both hemispheres.
Author Donald Sommerville curates an authoritative record detailing the monumental events, world-class players, historic games, and team achievements that shaped a global subculture. Crucially, the book features a highly comprehensive A-Z reference section that breaks away from standard histories to provide deep insight into crucial facets of the game, including Rugby Sevens, tournament rules, stadium architectures, and the early rise of the women's game. For rugby purists, international sports historians, and serious collectors of classic Africana and international sport literature, this scarce first-edition hardcover collectible copy acts as an indispensable primary historical reference.
Author Profile: Donald Sommerville
Donald Sommerville is an exceptionally distinguished British author, military historian, editor, and sports encyclopedist. Renowned globally for his meticulous cross-disciplinary reference compilations, Sommerville has authored and co-authored numerous critically acclaimed historical volumes, specializing in accessible layout design, deep archival validation, and sharp narrative pacing that maps complex global histories with academic honesty.
Sommerville’s unique literary talent and rigorous research methodology ensure that this compendium cuts through standard promotional clichés to deliver an balanced historical perspective. His expert handling of technical sports mechanics, statistical records, and socio-political histories translates the raw evolution of international sport into a polished, definitive primary historical record that remains highly collectible.
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