Kieran Read: Straight 8 The Autobiography by SCOTTY STEVENSON

$39.99 NZD

$49.99 (20% off)

Category: Rugby

Kieran Read first played for the All Blacks as a 23-year old in 2008 and since then has amassed more than a century of test appearances in the famous jersey. Now, after a stellar provincial, club, and international career including back to back World Cup victories the New Zealand captain writes openly a nd honestly about his time in the game. Read takes to these pages with his trademark determination, lifting the lid on the unique pressures of succeeding as captain the most celebrated All Black of all time. He outlines the decisions that shaped his career and uncovers the skills of the coaches who shaped him, while offering readers an inside account of how the worlds greatest team functions and thrives. A rugby player cannot reach the pinnacle of the sport without negotiating the many avenues of adversity on the roadmap to triumph. Read unpacks the emotional toll of injury and the ignominy of defeat, neatly illustrating the intense experience of representing a rugby-obsessed nation while delivering a masterclass in how manage the many demands on the mind and on the body. Forthright and frank, Reads well-respected views on the game and its future are a must-read for rugby fans, and his take on the myriad personalities and the peccadilloes of his teammates, coaches and opponents will be sure to surprise and delight. From the playing fields of Papakura to the world champion podium, Read has faced every challenge head on. His life story is no exception. ...Show more

Beaudy - Skills, Drills and the Path to the Top by Rikki Swannell

$39.99 NZD

Category: Rugby

From his upbringing with seven siblings in rural New Zealand, experiences in Ireland as a child, to his rise through the rugby ranks with Taranaki and the Hurricanes, Beauden Barrett will give an insight into what has made him the player he's become, the setbacks he had along the way and the choices he had to make. One big decision as an 18-year old changed the course of his career and, instead of being lost to New Zealand rugby entirely, set Beauden on the path towards becoming an All Black. Now widely seen as one of the best players in the game, he could have been an AFL star in Australia if it weren't for one phone call. He may have gone from high school to the All Blacks in the space of three years, but the path was far from smooth. Packed with tips and skills, along with drills for different ages and abilities to help young players progress their game, Beauden will also offer advice on how to become a better player off the field, how he learned to adapt to life as a professional sportsman at such a young age and who helped him along the way. Beaudy -Skills, Drills and the Path to the Top is an aspirational read for fans young and old. ...Show more

Will to Win - New Zealand Netball Greats on Team Culture and Leadership by Lana McCarthy; Andy Martin; Geoff Watson

$39.99 NZD

Category: Sports And Leisure

A fascinating deep-dive into the development of the Silver Ferns traditions, the evolution of team culture and the nuts-and-bolts of leadership at an elite sporting level. The 12 legendary players and coaches interviewed including Lois Muir, Leigh Gibbs, Sandra Edge, Bernice Mene, Ruth Aitken and Casey Kopua candidly discuss the highs and lows of their careers, and of the Silver Ferns, the effect of the intense rivalry with Australia, coping with gut-wrenching losses, and the resilience of players and coaches. For the first time the perspective of these key actors is the subject of serious analysis, and the book is a real insight into the psychology of a womens highperformance team. As such, it provides a practical guide for developing team culture and leadership for netball coaches at all levels. It also includes comments from Farah Palmer on women in sport and leadership, and a brief history of New Zealand netball, including the gains and losses as netball moved into a semi-professional era, and the struggles for sponsorship and for media recognition, despite it being New Zealands most popular team sport. ...Show more

Tour Aotearoa Official Guides, 3rd Edition by Kennett Brothers

$19.99 NZD

Category: Sports And Leisure

Tour Aotearoa is a 300 km bike odyssey spanning the length of New Zealand. This two-volume set provides riders with step-by-step instructions, route maps, and insider tips on hoe to cycle from Cape Reinga down to Bluff.

Kenny Smith by Michael Clark

$49.99 NZD

Category: Motor Sports

New Zealander Kenny Smith won the New Zealand Hill Climb championship when he was just 16 and, now, at over 70, he still competes in the NZ Formula 5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series. This biography covers Kenny Smith's long career in motor racing, including the golden years of the late '60s and '70s when h e raced alongside Bruce McLaren, Stirling Moss, Graham Hill, Denny Hulme, Jackie Stewart and Chris Amon, the years he won New Zealand Grand Prix titles, the mentoring and talent-spotting he's been involved in, and everything else he's learnt along the way. Awarded the MBE for Services to Motorsport in 1987, Kenny has also been inducted into the New Zealand Motorsport Hall of Fame and, in 2010, was presented with a Motorsport New Zealand Special Award in recognition of is key role in motorsport. ...Show more

Bikepacking Aotearoa by The Kennet Brothers

$29.99 NZD

Category: Sports And Leisure

Bikepacking Aotearoa is a guide to twenty cycling adventures around New Zealand. The trips range in length from two days to two weeks and explore the less travelled parts of this beautiful little country. New equipment and a change of mindset have opened up a whole new world of possibilities. Bike pack ing bags, strap directly on to the bike and allow you to travel fast and light, on off-road capable bikes. Get away from busy main roads. Take to the gravel backroads, cycle trails, and back-country tracks to really get away from it all and find the hidden gems that Aotearoa has to offer. For riders who are looking for adventures close to home and for bikepacking routes that can be completed in 2-3 days Bikepacking Aotearoa offers a choice of 20 exciting routes that explore some of the most scenic parts of the country. These routes are perfect as weekend getaways or as preparation for a bikepacking event. • Introductory chapters cover equipment choice, bike setup, training and preparation. • Includes detailed route descriptions, maps, elevation charts, essential service listings • Routes are graded by difficulty • Includes a list of Bikepacking events on offer around Aotearoa NZ Contents Introduction Choosing and fitting your bike Packing your bags Preparation On the road North Island 1. The Heart of the Octopus 2. Great Barrier Island 3. Coromandel Peninsula 4. Raglan to Te Awa Loop 5. Caves to Coast Loop 6. Geyserland Classic 7. Whanganui – Whangaehu Valley Loop 8. Mangatutu Mission 9. The Five Beaches 10. Remutaka Plus South Island 11. Marlborough Sounds Loop 12. Kahurangi 500 13. Tasman’s Great Taste Trail Plus 14. Rainbow – Molesworth 15. Wilderness No.8 16. Le Banks Peninsula 17. Alps 2 Hakataramea Loop 18. Te Kouka Traverse 19. Nevis and the Old Man 20. The Ram Rock Other Rides Plus summaries of an extra 20 nearby trips – recommended by leading bikepackers. Bonus rides: * Tour Aotearoa: 3000 km the length of New Zealand * Kopiko Aotearoa: 1060 km cape to cape across the North Island ...Show more

The Captain's Run: What It Takes to Lead the All Blacks by Gregor Paul

$39.99 NZD

Category: Rugby | Reading Level: near fine

How the captains of the last 50 years have gone about leading the world's most successful rugby team. The job of All Blacks captain comes with a scrutiny that puts it alongside the prime minister in terms of profile and public expectation. It takes a strong, confident and assured personality to captain a team where failure is never tolerated. The Captain's Run is a behind the scenes journey into the world of All Blacks captaincy. It reveals how the great captains dealt with the pressure of the toughest job in world rugby, how they coped with failure, and what they would have done differently, if given their time again. ...Show more

Upstream on the Mataura: A Fly Fisher's Journey to Source by Dougal Rillstone

$39.99 NZD

Category: Sports And Leisure

Dougal Rillstone was born in Gore, close to the Mataura River, over seventy years ago. The river was both swimming pool and playground during his childhood. One summer's evening, while he stood chest deep in a long pool, facing downstream towards the fading light, he became mesmerised by the sight of ri ppling rings left by rising trout on the otherwise smooth surface. He has been haunted by moving water ever since. In Upstream on the Mataura, Dougal has captured the essence of his lifelong connection with the Mataura River. While angling, and fly-fishing in particular, anchor his attachment, the book is as much a meditation on landscape and moving water as it is about angling. It is also about the communities the river runs through, the friendships sustained by fly-fishing, and a love of the river and its tributaries. The first section of the book offers a clear-eyed view of the beauty, challenges and hardship involved in his 240-kilometre walk upstream from the coast at Fortrose to the source of the river, in the Eyre Mountains. Following are twelve stories that traverse his connection with the river, from his earliest recollections through to the present time. ...Show more

The Age of Football by David Goldblatt

$27.99 NZD

Category: Sports And Leisure

The epic exploration of football in the twenty-first century through the prism of sociology, politics, and economics, by David Goldblatt, the critically acclaimed author of The Ball is Round. 'David Goldblatt is not merely the best football historian writing today, he is possibly the best there has eve r been' - Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times In the twenty-first century football is first. First among sports themselves, but it now commands the allegiance, interest and engagement of more people in more places than any other phenomenon. In the three most populous nations on the earth - China, India and the United States where just twenty years ago football existed on the periphery of society - it has now arrived for good. Nations, peoples and neighbourhoods across the globe imagine and invent themselves through playing and following the game. In The Age of Football, David Goldblatt charts football's global cultural ascent, its economic transformation and deep politicization, taking in prison football in Uganda and amputee football in Angola, the role of football fans in the Arab Spring, the footballing presidencies of Bolivia's Evo Morales and Turkey's Recep Erdogan, China's declared intention to both host and win the World Cup by 2050, and the FIFA corruption scandal. Following the intersection of the game with money, power and identity, like no sports historian before, Goldblatt's sweeping story is remarkable in its scope, breathtaking in its depth of knowledge, and is a brilliantly original perspective of the twenty-first century. It is the account of how football has come to define every facet of our social, economic and cultural lives and at what cost, shaping who we think we are and who we want to be. ...Show more

Urban Forest School Adventure by Naomi Walmsley

$39.99 NZD

Category: Sports And Leisure

Venture out to your local greenspace or just into your back yard, and try the amazing array of outdoor activities - from building a hidden sheet den to creating watering stations for bees. While you are there, scavenge and forage for raw materials and then extend the fun with creative makes and recipes to do back at home such as leaf printing, stick boats and stinging nettle crisps. Get to know the wild parts of your city or town with handy bug, plant and tree ID sections, plus a scavenger hunt and cloud-spotting game that can be done when out and about. Games to play with organized groups or with your family and friends adds another dimension to this book that is bursting with ideas for urban outdoor adventures. ...Show more

Rugby Folklore by Matt Elliott

$34.99 NZD

$39.99 (12% off)

Category: Rugby

From superstitions to send-offs, All Black nick-names to on-field battles: Rugby Folklore is a miscellany of stories, quotes, and facts that are part of the fabric of New Zealand rugby. New Zealand has played, celebrated and commemorated rugby like no other country. We took to the game in extraordinary numbers in the late nineteenth century. Rugby was the game for all. It became a sport in which names like Grizz, Tiny, Guzzler, Pinetree, Rimu, and the Paekakariki Express have made us feared and revered as the greatest rugby nation on earth. Rugby Folklore is a book about matches won and lost, rivalries built and legends made. From on-field controversies, rugby songs, and what makes an All Black to Hika's great try, 'Bring Back Buck' and wind at Athletic Park so strong that Don Clarke watched a ball kicked for touch sail back over his head. Covering the earliest days of club-rugby through to the modern-day All Blacks, this collection of interesting facts, unforgettable quotes and tall tales will you leave you looking on our national game with pure unbridled pride ... and a little disbelief! 'Remember that rugby is a team game; all 14 of you make sure you pass the ball to Jonah.' - Fax to the All Blacks during the 1995 RWC ...Show more

A Short History of Golf by Matt Cleary; Greg Norman (Foreword by)

$32.99 NZD

Category: Sports And Leisure

'Bloody brilliant.' - Greg Norman This book tells the magnificent, sometimes tragic, always inspiring stories of the greats of golf and how they lit up the world with their own brands of magic. Since Old Tom Morris won three of the first four Open Championships in the 1860s at the famous St Andrews co urse, so many greats have vied for that prize since. Did you know that Bobby Jones created the famous Augusta course? That Sam Sneed won three green jackets? Let's not forget Ben Hogan, Gene Sarazen, Gary Player (The King) and Jack Nicklaus. Then there was the magnificent Seve, the Great White Shark and Tiger. And the women are here too: Karrie Webb, Jan Stephenson, Patty Berg, Annika Sorenstam and Mildred Ella Didrikson Zaharias, known as Babe after Babe Ruth because she was truly magnificent. Written by sports writer and golf mad Matt Cleary - featuring interviews with Greg Norman, Gary Player, David Graham and Ian Baker-Finch - A Short History of Golf is one man's take on the highs and lows of the great game of golf. ...Show more