Rugby Life

Best Rugby Books of 2024, 2025 and 2026: The New Reads Worth Your Time

The new rugby books that actually deserve a place on your shelf — from Johnny Sexton, Andy Farrell and George North to a referee's memoir, the story of women's rugby and two new books about American star Ilona Maher.

Searching for the best rugby books of 2024, 2025 or 2026? You are in the right place. The last three years have produced an unusually strong run of rugby writing: the autobiographies of some of the defining players and coaches of the modern game, a referee's view from the middle, a sharp history of women's rugby and the first books written about Ilona Maher, the most famous American rugby player on the planet right now.

This guide is written for American readers — players, coaches, parents and fans — who want to know which new rugby books are worth their time, what each one is really about and who it suits. We only list books we could confirm with publishers or major booksellers, we tell you the year each came out, and we are honest about which ones are written for hardcore fans and which ones work for someone who has only just discovered the sport. If you want the all-time classics instead, start with our earlier list of must-read rugby books that will transform your game knowledge. This page is about what is new.

How We Chose These Rugby Books

There is no shortage of "best rugby books" lists online, and many of them recycle the same titles from a decade ago or pad the list with books that are hard to find. We set three simple rules for this one.

• New only. Every book here was first published, or published in a significantly updated edition, between 2024 and 2026. Classics belong on our all-time list.
• Verified details. Titles, authors, publishers and release timing were checked against publisher pages, booksellers or reputable rugby and books coverage. Where a date varies by country or edition, we say so.
• Useful to an American reader. Most rugby publishing happens in Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. We explain the context an American fan needs — who the author is, why their story matters and whether the book makes sense if you did not grow up with the game.

We have not been paid to include any book, and we do not use affiliate links. Our recommendations are APR's opinion, clearly labeled as such.

All 13 Books at a Glance

The Best Rugby Books of 2024

2024 was the year two of the most recognizable figures in world rugby told their own stories: the out-half who won almost everything, and the referee who took charge of the biggest match of all.

1. Obsessed by Johnny Sexton (2024)

Johnny Sexton retired after the 2023 Rugby World Cup as Ireland's most decorated player, and his autobiography, published by Penguin's Irish imprint Sandycove, arrived in hardback in 2024, with the paperback following in 2025. Penguin's own description covers his childhood, his early club and professional career, his four European Cups and four Six Nations titles with Leinster and Ireland, and his relationships with teammates and coaches such as Brian O'Driscoll and Joe Schmidt. The publisher also highlights the self-doubt behind the drive — which is what lifts it above a match-by-match diary.

Why it matters for American readers: Sexton is the clearest modern example of a player who made himself elite through standards rather than size or speed. If you coach, or you are trying to get more out of your own game, the way he describes preparation and pressure is worth more than any drill book. APR's view: the best player memoir of the period, and the place to start if you only buy one.

2. Throwing the Book by Wayne Barnes with Ben Dirs (2024)

Wayne Barnes refereed at the highest level for two decades and retired after taking charge of the 2023 Rugby World Cup final. He is also a criminal barrister, which gives his memoir a different voice from most rugby books. Published by Little, Brown, it covers his upbringing in the Forest of Dean, the highs and lows of his refereeing career, his family life and his legal work, with the paperback released in January 2025.

Why it matters for American readers: the hardest thing for a new rugby fan in the US is understanding what the referee is doing. A book written from the middle of the field explains the game's decisions, its pressures and its culture of respect for officials in a way no rulebook can. It pairs well with our explainers on how long a rugby game lasts and how 10s rugby works. APR's view: the best rugby book of the period for newcomers.

3. The Good, the Bad & the Rugby – Unleashed (2024)

Alex Payne, James Haskell and Mike Tindall host The Good, the Bad & the Rugby, one of the best-known rugby podcasts, and this 2024 HarperCollins book collects the kind of stories, opinions and behind-the-scenes humor that made the show popular. It is not a serious history, and it does not pretend to be.

Why it matters for American readers: rugby's dressing-room culture is a big part of why people stay in the game, and this is the most accessible way into it. APR's view: a great gift for a teammate who would never pick up a 400-page autobiography.

The Best Rugby Books of 2025

2025 was the deepest year of the three. Ireland's golden generation dominated the autobiography shelves, a Welsh great finally told his story, and women's rugby got the updated history it deserved in a Women's Rugby World Cup year.

4. The Only Way I Know by Andy Farrell (2025)

Published by Sandycove on October 16, 2025, Andy Farrell's autobiography follows one of the most unusual careers in the sport: a teenage rugby league star at Wigan, a switch to rugby union in his thirties with Saracens and England, and then a coaching career that took him to the head of Ireland and the British & Irish Lions. Penguin's description adds his family life and the leadership lessons he has taken from it.

Why it matters for American readers: many Americans come to rugby late, from football, wrestling, basketball or lacrosse. Farrell's story is proof that crossing codes and starting again in your thirties can work. For coaches, the leadership material is the main event. APR's view: the best rugby book of 2025, and the one we would hand to any club coach.

5. No Other Place by George North with Tom Fordyce (2025)

George North's first autobiography, written with sports writer Tom Fordyce and published by HarperCollins in 2025 (the release date varies by country), follows him from his early years on Anglesey to a Wales career that ended with 121 Test caps — the third-most in Welsh history. He was also the youngest player ever to reach 100 Test caps.

Why it matters for American readers: North was one of the defining big, fast wingers of his era, the kind of athlete American scouts imagine when they talk about converting players from other sports. APR's view: a must for back-three players and anyone who follows Welsh rugby.

6. Cloud Nine: My Life in Rugby by Conor Murray with Tommy Conlon (2025)

Conor Murray's autobiography, published by Reach in 2025, made headlines in Ireland for its criticism of former Munster coach Graham Rowntree, according to the Irish Farmers Journal's review of the year's best sports books. The same review says it examines Munster's decline from regular European contender and how senior players' concerns were not always heeded.

Why it matters for American readers: it is a rare inside look at how a professional club team works — and what happens when it stops working. APR's view: for readers who enjoy candid, sometimes uncomfortable, sports books.

7. Heart on My Sleeve by Andrew Porter (2025)

Ireland prop Andrew Porter's 2025 book, published by Eriu and written with Alison Walsh and Richard Sadlier, goes beyond the usual match-by-match account. The Irish Farmers Journal notes that Porter writes about losing his mother, Wendy, when he was 12.

Why it matters for American readers: front-row forwards are rarely the ones who get the spotlight. This is a book about the person in the jersey, and it shows how the team environment can support players through life away from the field. APR's view: the most human book on this list.

8. Touching Distance by Brendan Fanning (2025)

Brendan Fanning's Touching Distance: Irish Rugby's Battle with Great Expectations, published by Gill in 2025, traces how Irish rugby developed alongside professionalism. The Irish Farmers Journal review calls it "no cheerleading tale," noting that Fanning offers criticism where it is warranted.

Why it matters for American readers: the United States is still working out how to build professional rugby — Major League Rugby enters 2027 with five teams after a run of folded franchises, as we covered in our guide to pro rugby in the USA. A clear-eyed account of how a smaller rugby nation turned itself into a global power is directly relevant. APR's view: the most useful book here for administrators and club founders.

9. Scrum Queens by Ali Donnelly (updated edition, 2025)

Ali Donnelly's Scrum Queens: The Story of Women's Rugby was first published by Pitch in 2022, and an updated edition followed in 2025, the year England hosted the Women's Rugby World Cup. Rugby World included it in its December 2025 roundup of essential rugby reads.

Why it matters for American readers: the USA won the first Women's Rugby World Cup in 1991, and the women's game is where American rugby has its strongest history. With the Women's Eagles on a winning streak this autumn and the APR Games running a Women's Social division with a $5,000 prize purse, this is the book that explains how the women's game got here. APR's view: required reading for every women's team in America.

10. The Good, the Bad & the Rugby: Reloaded (2025)

The podcast trio's follow-up to Unleashed arrived in 2025 and was named by Rugby World in its essential reads. Same formula, new stories. If the first one landed with your teammates, this one will too.

11. Ilona Maher (My Itty-Bitty Bio) by Virginia Loh-Hagan (2025)

Published by Cherry Lake Publishing on August 1, 2025, this beginner-friendly biography of Ilona Maher is part of a series that profiles people from many backgrounds and professions. It is aimed at the youngest readers and covers her early life and athletic path.

Why it matters for American readers: Maher, an Olympic medalist with USA Rugby's sevens team, has introduced millions of young Americans to rugby through social media. A first rugby book for a small child that features an American star is something the sport has lacked for a long time.

The Best Rugby Books of 2026 So Far

2026 is a Lions-free, World-Cup-build-up year, and the release list is smaller so far. Two books stand out.

12. Who Is Ilona Maher? by Ellen Labrecque (2026)

Released on May 5, 2026, by Penguin Workshop as part of the popular Who HQ Now series, this middle-grade biography tells the story of a girl from Vermont who played several sports before taking up rugby in her senior year of high school. It also covers her body-positivity advocacy and the funny, engaging social media posts that made her famous.

Why it matters for American readers: the "Who Was / Who Is" books are a fixture in American classrooms and school libraries. A rugby player joining that series is a small but real sign of the sport's growth in the US. APR's view: the best rugby book for American kids right now — and a strong stocking stuffer for any youth player heading toward the APR Games Youth division.

13. All In by Peter O'Mahony with Dion Fanning (2026)

Former Munster and Ireland back-row Peter O'Mahony's memoir, written with Dion Fanning, was published by Penguin on September 24, 2026, as reported by The 42. O'Mahony won 114 Ireland caps, captained his country and was named captain for his only British & Irish Lions Test, in New Zealand in 2017. He won five Six Nations titles, including Grand Slams in 2018 and 2023, and two league titles with Munster. Penguin says the book covers his parents, his grandmother, his club, his school and Munster's rugby tradition, as well as his rise to the captaincy of Munster, Ireland and the Lions.

Why it matters for American readers: O'Mahony was the archetypal hard-edged, vocal captain. If you lead a team — on the field or off it — the parts about identity and tradition are directly useful. APR's view: the rugby book of the 2026 autumn season.

Which Rugby Book Should You Read First?

If you are standing in a bookstore — or scrolling an online one — and only want one or two, here is how we would choose.

Why So Many Rugby Books Are Irish — and What That Means for Americans

Look at this list and you will notice a pattern: five of the thirteen books come from Irish players, coaches or writers. That is not an accident. Ireland's men's team spent much of the last few years at or near the top of the world rankings, and the generation that delivered it — Sexton, Murray, O'Mahony, Porter, and coach Andy Farrell — has been retiring or reflecting. Publishers follow success, and Irish readers buy rugby books in big numbers.

For American readers, that is good news. Ireland is a useful model for the US: a country where rugby was not the biggest sport, which built a strong professional structure around a small number of teams and a deep schools and club system. Reading the Irish books back to back — Farrell for coaching, Sexton for standards, Fanning for the system and Murray for the cracks — gives you a remarkably complete picture of how a smaller rugby nation became a powerhouse.

APR's view: the next great American rugby book has not been written yet. The USA will host the men's Rugby World Cup in 2031 and the women's tournament in 2033. Somewhere in a club in Las Vegas, Chicago, Denver or San Diego, the players whose stories will fill those books are starting out right now.

Where to Find Rugby Books in the US

Because most rugby publishing happens in the UK and Ireland, American readers sometimes struggle to find new titles. A few practical tips:

• Check release timing by country. Many books come out in the UK and Ireland first, with US or international editions later. George North's No Other Place, for example, shows different release dates depending on the market.
• Use the big online stores and independents. Most titles on this list are available to order in the US, either as US editions or imports. Independent bookstores can usually special-order a title if you give them the ISBN.
• Try ebook and audiobook editions. Many rugby autobiographies are released digitally at the same time as the hardback, which avoids import shipping entirely.
• Ask your library. US public libraries take purchase suggestions, and the children's books about Ilona Maher are designed for school and library collections.
• Look for paperbacks. If a hardback import feels expensive, the paperback usually follows about six to twelve months later — as happened with Sexton's Obsessed and Barnes's Throwing the Book.

Start a Rugby Book Club With Your Team

Here is an idea we would love to see at clubs across America this off-season: a team book club. Rugby clubs are social by design, and a book is an easy excuse to get players together between the end of the fall season and the start of spring training.

• Pick one book a month from November to April. Start with something light, like Unleashed, and build toward the bigger autobiographies.
• Tie it to training. After reading Farrell or O'Mahony, ask each player for one leadership habit to bring into the club. After Barnes, run a quick laws quiz.
• Mix the groups. Put forwards and backs, veterans and rookies, men's and women's sides in the same discussion. The best rugby culture is built across those lines.
• End with a goal. Finish the season by entering a tournament together — like the APR Games in Las Vegas on Memorial Day Weekend 2027.

Two of Las Vegas's founding APR franchises show how different club stories can be. The Vegas Blackjacks were founded in 1976 after a newspaper ad recruited players, and describe themselves as Las Vegas's oldest sports club, with three national championships. Downtown Rugby, "The People's Team," was established in 2024. One club has half a century of history; the other is writing its first chapter. Both are stories worth telling. Meet all five franchises on our teams page, including the Vegas Kings, Vegas Knights and Vegas Lions.

Rugby Books as Gifts

With the holidays coming, rugby books are one of the easiest gifts to get right: they are personal, they last and they fit any budget. Our holiday gift guide for rugby players pairs books with gear, and our guide to rugby jerseys covers the other classic rugby gift — official APR team jerseys are in the APR merch store.

If the rugby fan in your life is launching a business of their own — a coaching service, a rugby bar, a kit brand — Giftabiz, one of our official partners, lets friends, family and community send gifts and video messages to a new business launch through a shareable page. And if you are planning a trip to the APR Games, Luna Appleton covers where to stay, eat and celebrate in Las Vegas — a good place to plan a reading-by-the-pool afternoon before the evening kickoffs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Keep Reading

Want more? Sign up to the APR newsletter, catch up on the latest rugby news, see the divisions on the APR Games page, or find your franchise in the teams section. New to the game? Read how to start playing rugby as an adult in Las Vegas, and sharpen your hands with our latest Tuesday Skills episode on how to catch a rugby ball.

Sources

• Penguin UK: Obsessed: The Autobiography by Johnny Sexton
• Readings: Throwing the Book by Wayne Barnes and Ben Dirs
• Readings: The Good, the Bad & the Rugby – Unleashed (2024)
• Penguin UK: The Only Way I Know by Andy Farrell
• The Bookseller: George North's autobiography goes to HarperCollins
• The Nile: No Other Place by George North
• Irish Farmers Journal: Game on — the best sports books of 2025
• Readings: Scrum Queens by Ali Donnelly (2025 edition)
• Rugby World: The best rugby books — 15 essential reads (December 2025)
• MIT Press Bookstore: Ilona Maher (My Itty-Bitty Bio) by Virginia Loh-Hagan
• The Nile: Who Is Ilona Maher? by Ellen Labrecque
• The 42: Peter O'Mahony to release autobiography in September

This guide is current as of October 30, 2026. Release dates, editions and availability vary by country and retailer — check with your bookseller. Book descriptions are based on publisher information and published reviews; recommendations are APR's opinion. We are not paid by any publisher and use no affiliate links. APR Games rules and squad sizes will be confirmed with player registration. Questions? Contact us.