For the Love of the Game - Grassroots Rugby in Heartland New Zealand

Exisle Publishing, Auckland, 2015, 160 pages.

'For the Love of the Game' is a celebration of New Zealand grassroots rugby and the people who make it happen. In words and stunning photographs, it tells the story of a great love affair that is pursued in small towns and communities the length and breadth of New Zealand. As one generation succeeds another, children are hooked by the game at school and club level, and families get caught up in helping their kids succeed and in maintaining the reputation of their team or club. In the process, the rugby club often becomes the social hub of the community. The authors have visited clubs throughout New Zealand and describe the process of training and preparing for the game, fund-raising, the road trip, the great traditional rivalries and the after-match rituals. Many of the people responsible for carrying on the traditions of New Zealand rugby are unsung heroes who give up their Saturdays to coach the teams, make the teas, polish the boots, referee the games and ferry the kids around the country. This book tells the story of their lives and the players who turn out every week for the love of the game.