Rugby Union Memorabilia - A History and Collector's Guide (Paperback)

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This is almost certainly the first book ever published on the collecting of Rugby Union memorabilia - the jerseys, caps, cups, programmes, prints, photographs, autographs, cards, stamps, badges, medals, books, ephemera and whatever else might evoke a nostalgia for and encapsulate the development of the game. While Football of the Association variety, Cricket, Golf and to an extent Tennis have had their sample artefacts and accessories recorded in print, the handling code which was - or wasn't - born at Rugby School nearly two centuries back, and which drew over two million fans to the stadia of the Rugby World Cup in 2015, has not. Now at last this volume surveys the field, from Victorian kit and cigarette cards through flimsy first images and programmes and early Lions' and Colonials' tours to the growing literature of Rugby worldwide and the 'merchandise' of the professional era. It is profusely illustrated with examples of memorabilia obtainable for a pound or two, several hundred, or - in the case of a 2015 record-breaker - nearly GBP200,000. Whether you are a novice or an expert 'anorak' at the collecting game, this introduction should have much to arouse interest, delight - and envy!