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Captain Courageous

Chris Hesketh

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The story of Rugby League great Chris Hesketh is a heart-warming one, his sporting life being one of triumph over adversity, reaching its pinnacle as the first Wigan-born captain of a British Lions Rugby League touring team when leading the party that flew to Australia and New Zealand in 1974. That honour, and many more, was achieved after overcoming polio as a child and the shattering experience of being discarded by his first professional club, Wigan, who he had followed since being a youngster. His transfer to Salford sparked a new beginning as an integral part of a team that reached the Challenge Cup Final at Wembley and twice won the Rugby League Championship in the 1970s. A classy centre and dominating presence on the rugby field, he was destined to become skipper of a Red Devils outfit littered with star names such as Paul Charlton, Colin Dixon, Keith Fielding and David Watkins. A tourist twice, he also took part in two World Cup tournaments, including the 1972 triumph in France. His renaissance received official recognition through the awarding of the MBE in 1976 for his services to Rugby League. In this book, Chris, and co-author Graham Morris provide the reader with a fascinating account of his trials and tribulations as a professional sportsman as he rose to the top in the toughest of all team sports, including many inside stories and humorous anecdotes. Its pages reveal the life and times of a player who proved himself as a true Captain Courageous, offering an essential read for all lovers of sport and Rugby League in particular.

Paperback

First published September 30, 2006