Rugby Spirit

'Ok, lads, you have everything you need to win this game. So go out and do it ,' said the coach. Eoin's not sure if it will be so easy! He's just started a new school ... and a new sport. Everyone at school is mad about rugby, but Eoin hasn't even held a rugby ball before! With new rules to learn, new friends to make and new teachers to get a handle on, he really doesn't need to have Richie Duffy, the resident bully, picking him out as his latest target! And just who is this guy, Brian, who looks so out-of-date, but gives great rugby advice?

It's in the early morning, usually on dry, icy cold, thorn-strewn fields, that rugby legends are created. The boys are kaalvoet, the linesmen are spectators, sometimes unwillingly plucked from the makeshift stands, and the aroma of boerewors on hot coals drifts across the field. It is here that the love for the game of rugby is born, where passion is first ignited. Between the Lines is a journey to the heart of South Africa's rugby spirit. Join Matthew Knight as he travels from Bishops in Cape Town - the birthplace of rugby in South Africa - to the hallowed corridors of Hilton College and Michaelhouse in KwaZulu-Natal, to dusty platteland dorps where Bok greats such as Os du Randt were nurtured, and Grey College in Bloemfontein, the undisputed nursery for future Springboks. Knight meticulously mines South Africa's rich rugby heritage and interviews some of the former and current greats of the game. Characters such as Schalk Burger Snr and son, 'Skonk' Nicholson (South Africa's longest-serving coach), Mark Andrews and Nick Mallett, among many others, share their memories of the game that has left an indelible impression on their lives, as well as the lives of those who cheered them on from the stands. This is Knight's quest to discover the foundation of Springbok success: schools' rugby.

It's a new school term and Eoin Madden has new responsibilities. He's now captain of the Under 14s team and has to deal with friction between his friend Rory and new boy Dylan as they thrash it out for a place as scrum-half. And away from the pitch Eoin has his hands full. He starts work on a project about Irish-born All Black Dave Gallaher who died in World War I. Then history becomes reality when an old book brings Eoin a lot closer to the rugby legend than he ever thought possible ... Fast-paced action, mysterious spirits and feuding friends – it's a season to remember!

Eoin Madden's having a busy term with friend issues, schoolwork and new rugby challenges; he's been moved up to train with the Junior Cup team, which is hard work, plus there's trouble in his dormitory as mobile phones start going missing! But as usual there are ghostly goings-on in Castlerock school – what's the link between Eoin's history lessons and the new spirit he's spotted wearing a Belvedere rugby jersey? ... Historical and modern mysteries combine in this intriguing tale of rugby, rebellion and ghosts. 'Beautifully crafted by Siggins, this is a book that will thrill any rugby-mad youngster while delighting sports fans (of any age) with an interest in entertaining storytelling.' Irish Daily Mail on Rugby Warrior

It looks like Eoin Madden's busiest term ever! He's Castlerock College's star player and he's been called up for Ireland in the Under 16 Four Nations - how will he juggle sport and school work? But his biggest challenge of all goes way beyond his own concerns and right to the heart of Irish rugby. When his oldest and best ghostly friend calls for help, can Eoin and his band of heroes solve their deadliest mystery yet? Take a dive into history –with some help from rugby legends of the past!

Book 8 in the acclaimed Rugby Spirit series. Eoin Madden and his friends are back at school and it looks like it will be a fun year with new subjects and activities to try. After all his years on the Junior Cup team, Eoin is looking forward to a break from rugby this year; when there's a chance to play soccer instead, he jumps at it! But it's hard to set up a football team at a rugby-mad school like Castlerock – can the boys do it? And who is the ghostly footballer with links to Dalymount Park that Eoin and his friends keep meeting? Eoin usually sees ghosts when trouble is brewing, so is something wrong at the football grounds? From the Busby Babes of the 1950s to the Castlerock Red Rockets, football links the generations.

'A book about humanity as much as sport. It’s like sitting at the kitchen table with your best mate and he’s pouring his heart out – about his life, his loss, his triumphs and his faults … and the love that got him through. Honest, generous, and most of all, courageous.' Markus Zusak, bestselling author of The Book Thief Mat Rogers is an Aussie footy legend and TV star who has triumphed over hardship, loss and heartache. He is finally ready to share his powerful life story. He is one of the most talented footballers of the modern era and a dual international in rugby league and rugby union. But for a long time, Mat Rogers lived in both the shadow and the thrall of his famous father, and their complex relationship shaped him in ways he couldn’t fathom. Craving paternal acceptance while determined to carve out his own identity and, later, to avoid repeating the sins of the father, he veered between periods of jubilation and depression, fulfilment and despair. Now, in his majestic, evocative autobiography, Rogers tells the story of a life framed by triumph and tragedy, a life in which, ultimately, he finds purpose and contentment in a harsh world. With its cracking pace and unvarnished frankness, A Father’s Son will be widely read and difficult to forget. Though by and about a celebrated footballer, it is so much more than another athlete’s memoirs. In spare, vivid prose, Rogers reveals how his teenage years were marked by periods of rebellion and self-destructive behaviour. Then, at age 20, he became a father to son Jack before he had finished his own journey into adulthood. By 22, he was married to first wife Michelle with another child, daughter Skyla, following shortly after. As well as discussing the experience of having a family while still a young man, Rogers also recounts the challenges that have defined his life off the sports field – the impact of losing both his parents in tragic circumstances and the experimental neck surgery he underwent in 2007, ending years of debilitating pain. Rogers’ story is one of a man who rises to the difficulties life sends his way. The discovery that his son Max is autistic prompted him and second wife Chloe to co-found charity 4 ASD Kids – and he talks passionately about the work he has done to raise awareness of a subject so close to home. That fighting spirit introduced Rogers to an even greater number of Australians who watched the sporting legend thrive on Australian Survivor. Across two memorable appearances on the reality TV series, he impressed viewers with his ability to combine his competitive spirit with his desire to play with heart. That duality, which defines Rogers' life, shines through in A Father’s Son. 'I couldn’t put this down. Mat shares his story with so much honesty and openness. I was overcome with emotion and such deep respect for Mat and the person, father and role model that he is.' Sally Obermeder, author and presenter

Sports-mad Eoin Madden is home in Tipperary for the holidays. There's no rugby over the summer, so he and his Castlerock boarding school friends, Dylan and Alan, head down to Ormondstown GAA club and get involved with the hurling and football teams. The summer is full of fun as the boys all get into playing GAA – well, apart from Alan, who's more into studying the opposition, and checking out the GAA stats. Eoin and Dylan take part in a hurling and football blitz against other clubs in the county and find some of the skills they've developed in rugby translate well to their native sports. The lads also have a bit of fun setting up a gardening business with their new teammates Vladis and Isaac to make some money. Everything is going well, so Eoin isn't sure why he bumps into his old ghostly friend, Brian Hanrahan – along with the ghost of Michael Hogan, who died in Croke Park on Bloody Sunday. Usually when ghosts appear to Eoin it is because there's something brewing. Some mystery or danger! The only thing going wrong in Ormondstown seems to be a bit of trouble with a gang of bullies. But Eoin and Dylan have handled the bullies – or have they? The ghostly action really hots up when the friends go to Dublin for the All-Ireland Hurling final. Eoin gains a deeper understanding of the tragedy of Bloody Sunday 100 years ago. But will he be in time to stop a modern tragedy unfolding? Book 7 in the acclaimed Rugby Spirit series.