Description

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The remarkable story of 20 young American football players, convinced to compete internationally in rugby—a game they’d never heard of

 

In 1950s Los Angeles, entrepreneur Mike Dimitro convinced a group of young American athletes to fly around the world playing rugby league, a game that was entirely new to them. Miraculously, the American All Stars competed with the best Australia, New Zealand, and France had to offer, and shocked the locals with some stunning victories. This story tells not only of the media circus and celebrity adventures, but also the All Stars’ fights and flings, tragic illnesses, and farcical court cases. Dimitro’s mission to establish a rugby league in the United States failed in spectacular fashion—though one All Star went on to win the Super Bowl, one became a Hollywood stuntman, and another an Olympic champion. The emergence of their remarkable story coincides with the United States’s first ever qualification for the Rugby League World Cup, in 2013.

About the Author

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Gavin Willacy is the author of three previous sports books including Rugby League Bravehearts. A sports reporter for 20 years, he now works in sports management and writes freelance for publications such as the Independent, League Express, Rugby League World, Sunday Times, and When Saturday Comes.