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In 1995 rugby union finally became a professional sport following more than a century as an amateur game. This book offers a critical analysis of the sport in the professional era and assesses the relationship between the local and the global in contemporary rugby union.

Introduction Where and Why Rugby Matters The Rugby World Cup Power Shifts: From League to Union The Rugby Player as Celebrity Player Migration in the Professional Age The Migration of Coaches in Rugby Union Passports of Convenience The Lions Roar Flattening the Rugby World