A Season in Stripes: Life with Leicester Tigers by Michael Tanner
Rugby clubs do not come any bigger than Leicester Tigers: 118 years of rich history studded with famous names and memorable triumphs; possessor of the finest club stadium in the land; the solitary English club granted an annual fixture with the Barbarians. With the onset of professionalism, rugby union has become big business. The Tigers have always been professional with a small p; this book describes how the professional club now lives and breathes with a capital P. Michael Tanner was granted unlimited access throughout the 1997-1998 season and wherever the Tigers went, Michael Tanner was never far away; whatever Leicester did, he was recording it. In this book, train, play and travel alongside club captain Martin Johnson and the five other British Lions who successfully toured South Africa under his leadership; meet foreign superstars such as Springbok ace Joel Stransky and the mercurial Fijian, Waisale Serevi - acknowledged as the world's greatest exponent of rugby sevens; get to know stalwarts like Dean Richards and the legendary ABC Club of Messrs Rowntree, Cockerill and Garforth; share the emotional rollercoaster endured by 1991 World Cup winning coach Bob Dwyer as he encourages, cajoles and occasionally berates his players to even greater heights; and learn to appreciate the contribution made by an unsung army of backroom personnel, from Chief executive to cook.