The British & Irish Lions tour is upon us and the new issue of Rugby World has everything you need for the next six weeks of action in New Zealand. Here are ten reasons you should pick up a copy of the July edition…
1. FREE Lions tour wallchart
Keep track of all the Lions fixtures and fill in the results of all ten games on the wallchart that comes FREE with the July issue. On the opposite side is a poster of the whole squad.
2. The cult of the coach
Are pre-game exchanges between coaches overshadowing the rugby itself? RW columnist Stephen Jones says it’s time for the players to reclaim the sport and those on the sidelines to focus on actions rather than words
Champs: Cork Constitution celebrate their league win. Photo: Inpho
3. Champions special
We salute league winners in our 20th consecutive champions section for grass-roots clubs. There are 120 teams featured and we find out what was key to their successes.
4. The 2017 Lions squad
Across more than 20 pages we provide in-depth profiles of all the Lions, including a few interesting facts alongside their rugby strengths. Plus, we pick a theme song for each of them!
North star: George North enjoying his time on the 2013 Lions tour. Photo: Inpho
5. Lions exclusives
The July issue features exclusive interviews with five Lions. George North talks about how his life has changed since the 2013 tour, Owen Farrell reflects on key moments in his career, Stuart Hogg explains how he’s become more mature over the past four years and Jared Payne insists there is more to his game than a strong defence. Plus, Ben Te’o talks through his rugby journey.
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6. New columnist Ben Ryan
Fiji’s Olympic gold medal-winning coach Ben Ryan analyses New Zealand’s attack and pinpoints where the Lions have to close them down.
Ben strikes: Ben Smith is a huge attacking weapon for the All Blacks. Photo: Getty Images
7. All Blacks exclusives
New Zealand full-back Ben Smith reveals how excited he is to face the Lions while prop Wyatt Crockett talks nicknames, dinner guests and his worst job. Plus, we profile try-scoring machine Julian Savea.
8. How to sidestep – by Danielle Waterman
England Women’s full-back Danielle Waterman gives her top tips on fancy footwork, from getting your body in the right condition to how to fool defenders.
Highly rated: Sam Underhill is swapping the Ospreys for Bath this summer. Photo: Inpho
9. The next generation
As well as all the Lions content, we interview youngsters making waves. From an England perspective, we chat to Sam Underhill and teenage twins Ben and Tom Curry. We also get the lowdown on Steff Evans, a Guinness Pro12 winner with the Scarlets, and New Zealand U20 captain Luke Jacobson.
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10. Plus, all this inside…
- Gloucester centre Matt Scott explains his delight at being back in the Scotland mix.
- Justin Harrison opens up on the difficulties he faced when retiring from playing.
- The Secret Player reveals what it’s like to play against the All Blacks.
- We talk to players and coaches in the Land of the Long White Cloud to find out why New Zealanders are so good at rugby.
- There are fitness drills for inside-centres and a set move from former England hooker George Chuter.
Centre point; Matt Scott is part of Scotland’s summer tour squad. Photo: Inpho