Beyond the Line

Moving – The Guardian

In his unique, touching and honest memoir, rugby union legend Ben Youngs bares it all for the first time.

Ben Youngs has had a dream career. He was born into rugby royalty and has achieved incredible success with both his family club, Leicester Tigers, and the English mens national team, for whom he is the most capped player of all time. His is an on-field legacy that any rugby player would envy.

But there’s more to his story than meets the eye.

In this deeply intimate memoir, the English rugby legend reveals how his remarkable record on the pitch masks what was, at times, a turbulent life off it. There have been highs: the 2019 World Cup final; a record-equalling eighteen-match unbeaten streak under Eddie Jones; finding friendship, brotherhood and a home at Leicester Tigers. But there have also been lows: losing two family members to terminal illnesses within a year; withdrawing from the Lions tour in 2017; falling out of love with rugby.

In Beyond the Line, Ben – the five-time Premiership champion and member of the winning 2013 Lions Test tour – shares his full story with the public. With remarkable candour, wit and warmth, he writes of how his relationship with rugby proved pivotal to his healing process and vividly recounts the raucous nights and spontaneous adventures that only those within the inner circle typically get to witness. Inspirational and open, his story reveals not just the pressures of competition, but also the camaraderie and wild experiences that come with a life in rugby.