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Starting from the moment William Webb Ellis picked up the ball at Rugby School during a game of soccer and ran with it, Martin Johnson traces the story of amateur rugby through to the world of the professional game at the top level. The result is a hilarious account of the development of a game which has provided scope for bruising physical contact and bawdy songs in schools, universities, and clubs throughout the world. Johnson wittily describes the wide appeal of rugby while highlighting the heroes, the larger than life characters, the great performances, and the memorable battles in both the Southern and Northern hemispheres.