Rugby Academy

Description

Borderlands School's First XV have their sights set on becoming the best school rugby team in the world. But while the boys focus on their matches, many of their parents are serving overseas in the armed forces. New pupil Woody is a footballer by nature and must decide if he's prepared to give rugby his all. Rory feels like he's losing his focus, distracted by thoughts of his parents in danger. Meanwhile, Owen finds himself at the centre when conflict breaks out within the team. With so many hurdles to face along the way, how far will they get in the rigorous schools' tournament?

Tom Palmer was a reluctant reader as a child and credits articles about football with getting him into reading. He went on to become a bookseller and then worked in reader development. He is well known for his hugely successful football fiction for Puffin, and is one of Barrington Stoke's top selling authors, writing about both sport and history with great appeal. He travels all over the UK visiting schools and working with charities, and is well loved across the book trade.

"A good book that I really enjoyed reading ... I like this because it is very exciting but there is a lot of humour too" -- Reader Review, Teen Titles "Written with sensitivity and insight, and illustrated by David Shephard, this book comes packed with drama, suspense, some real-life issues, and all the excitement - and ups and downs - of sporting action and shared team spirit. A brilliant book for rugby fans, adrenaline addicts and reluctant readers..." -- Lancashire Evening Post "The dilemmas the characters face are well defined and the reader will be drawn into their decision-making in this pacy story with sport and loyalty at its heart" -- Parents in Touch "Palmer is a first class story teller ... there's light and shade in his stories and I thought it was excellent that the 'baddies' in these stories aren't cartoon villains but complex characters in their own right" -- The Letterpress Project "Will resonate with anyone who has played a team sport ... Skilful storytelling makes Rugby Academy an exciting read, even for non-sports fans, and will appeal to readers with a wide range of interests" -- BookTrust