Backs To The Wall by Bryn Woodworth

This is a ‘must read’ for sports fans everywhere, a true-life story of sporting bravery of the highest order.Harold Wagstaff made history in 1906 when, at the tender age of 15 he became the youngest player to play professional rugby as he made his debut for his home town team of Huddersfield. On the other side of the world the seeds of professional rugby were being sown in Australia and New Zealand as a young postal clerk from Wellington, named Albert Baskerville, embarked on an ambitious project which would eventually lead to the start of international rugby league. Fast forward eight short years and Wagstaff will lead the best players from Northern Union on a tour of Australasia where they would battle against adversity in their quest to win the Ashes. This is a story that had to be told. An epic story of sporting bravery as Wagstaff and his twelve comrades somehow achieve victory against all the odds. Alongside these sporting endeavours Europe is drifting towards the Great War. Whilst the team are still in Australia war is declared and the they must face a perilous journey home. With German gunboats an ever-present risk, the ship carrying the tourists on their journey home has to be escorted through dangerous waters by the Royal Navy. This is no normal historical account. Bryn Woodworth brings the story to life as he skilfully explores and develops the personalities of the key characters through extensive use of dialogue.