The Final Whistle: The Great War in Fifteen Players

Winner of the Rugby Book of the Year Award 2013 at The British Sports Book Awards. In the years leading up to the First World War, the Rugby grounds of Britain became training grounds for war. The Final Whistle plays tribute to the pivotal role Rugby played in the Great War by following the poignant stories of fifteen men who played for Rosslyn Park, London. They came from diverse backgrounds, with players from Australia, Ceylon, Columbia, Ireland and South Africa, but they were united by their love of the game and their courage in the face of war. Stephen Cooper follows them from London to the Western Front, Mesopotamia, Turkey, Italy and Dublin, through some of the war's fiercest battles. The Final Whistle is a must-read for any rugby enthusiast or First World War historian.