Bill Beaumont: The Autobiography - Tapa dura

‘Beaumont is a British sporting institution’ Daily Telegraph

One of the best lock forwards in the history of the English and Lions’ rugby union game, as well as a successful captain, Bill Beaumont’s popularity on the field and his appearances on A Question of Sport have made him a household name. This is the light-hearted and amusing life story of a larger-than-life character.

A serious head injury forced Bill Beaumont to retire from rugby prematurely at the age of 29, after leading his country 21 times in 34 appearances – including a memorable grand slam in 1980 – and captaining the Lions to South Africa.

Since then he has been honoured with an OBE and turned effortlessly to a career in broadcasting as a BBC and Sky Sports summariser and, more famously, as captain on the sports quiz show 'A Question of Sport'.

He is also a brilliant raconteur and after-dinner speaker, and recently became chairman of the RFU's National Playing Committee.

Beaumont reflects back on a wonderful career, reliving the dramatic events on the field as well as the off-the-field scrapes and humorous escapades that characterised the game in its amateur era. And now as an elder statesman, he is perfectly positioned to talk passionately and knowledgeably about the game he so loves.