World rugby records (Fantastic fourth edition)

There is no game on earth quite like rugby: steeped in tradition and supported with fervour, at its best it is a heady mix of full-on physical confrontation, crunching tackles, deft handling skills, searing pace, pin-point kicking and a gentlemanly handshake at the end of an action-packed 80 minutes.

The sport has come a long way since the apocryphal moment in 1823 when William Webb Ellis is said to have picked up a ball and run with it on the playing fields of Rugby School.

In 2015, leading up to the eighth edition of Rugby World Cup, rugby had become one of the most contested and popular sports on the planet. And, ever since Richie McCaw lifted the trophy in Auckland in 2011, excitement in England has been mounting for Rugby World Cup 2015.

Well, the wait is nearly over! World Rugby Records, now in a fully revised and updated fourth edition, is a unique celebration of rugby excellence, featuring not only a host of records from teams and tournaments around the world (in all the game's formats), but also the stories behind them and a series of concise biographies on some of the greatest players ever to have played the game.Whether you are an armchair fan or a Twickenham, Murrayfield, Aviva Stadium or Millennium Stadium regular, it is essential reading for any fan of the game.