World in Their Hands

'A hilarious, thoroughly interesting and endearing read about those who paved the way for women's rugby today. One of the best rugby stories in history – men's or women's – told perfectly' – Jessica Hayden, The Times

'A remarkable and inspirational story' – Sarah Mockford, Rugby World

'Thomas has done brilliantly to unearth a treasure trove of im-portant stories from those who have made women's rugby what it is today. An extraordinary, empowering and truly engaging read' – Fiona Tomas, The Telegraph

'An uplifting and outstanding effort to tell the story of the amazing pioneers behind the 1991 World Cup. This is a story that deserved its own spot-light and Martyn has done a terrific job in bringing it all together' – Ali Donnel-ly, Scrumqueens

World in their Hands recounts the remarkable events that led to a group of friends from London staging the inaugural Women's Rugby World Cup in 1991. The tournament was held just 13 years after teams from University College London and King's contested a match that helped cata-lyse the growth of the women's game in the UK. The organisers overcame nu-merous obstacles before, during and after the World Cup, including ingrained mi-sogyny, motherhood, a recession, the Gulf War and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

This book is a celebration of female achievement in the face of ad-versity. It is not only the account of a group of inspirational women who planted their flag in turf previously reserved for men, but of their peers and the genera-tions before them who reshaped the idea of what it means to be a woman, find-ing acceptance and friendship on boggy rugby pitches. At the time, with the men's game tying itself up in knots about professionalism and South Africa, these women were a breath of fresh air. Three decades on, their achievements deserve to be highlighted to a wider audience.