Tom EnglishPolaris This is Your Everest: The Lions, The Springboks and the Epic Tour of 1997

One of the best rugby books out there!

This Is Your Everest by Tom English and Pete Burns is an absolute belter of a story, telling how a not-well-fancied touring Lions side defeated the Rugby World Cup Champions South Africa in 1997. This one is 5⭐️ from me.I read this book after The Grudge, and whilst I absolutely loved that book, This is Your Everest was a cut above. This book is about the legendary 1997 British & Irish Lions Tour to South Africa, two years after SA had won the World Cup at home and Nelson Mandela had presented the cup to the captain of a nation united behind their Springbok side. I started this book during the 2021 Lions Tour to South Africa, and finished it whilst on honeymoon in South Africa, which added another layer to feeling immersed in this story and learning about the history of the country and this sport in particular.I think it's fair to say that rugby has a really important role in uniting South Africans that began in 1995 with the World Cup win, and continues to this day. English & Burns do a fantastic job laying out the happenings of 1995 and it's importance politically and culturally to SA, and then the history and biography of the players and coaches involved in the 1997 Tour. I found particularly the background to SA and the Springboks fascinating and riveting.But equally, I loved seeing more of Geech and Telfer, the coaching duo from The Grudge, and their different approach to the Lions than their home team Scotland. And we got loads of insight into the Lions touring side, and their dynamic and biography which I loved.This book just blew me out of the water and I loved every minute of it. I recommend this to anyone with more interest in SA as a rugby nation, as well as anyone who ever wondered why a Lions Tour is special.

One of the best Rugby books I have read. It brought back so many good memories of what was a fantastic few weeks for myself, and maybe a lot of other Rugby fans

This is a compelling read for any Lions fan. This book compliments the Living with Lions documentary and puts a little more meat on the bone with some great quotes from both parties. This win was exceptional when you consider this was during the amateur professional transition. It really highlights the brutality of the tour and the arrogance of the South Africans who took the Test matches for granted. This is a true David v Goliath and demonstrates that if you have the 'can do will do attitude', then anything is achievable with the right management in place with McGeechan and Telfer at the helm.

An outstanding account of the legendary ‘97 lions tour as told by players from both sides as well as brilliantly chronicled by English and Burns.Eye-opening revelations from players paint an excellent vivid picture of the tour that defined the modern lions. Adds detail to the lions dvd and I found the whole South Africa perspective fascinating.A book that has strengthened my opinion that a lions tour is the pinnacle of sport for me: so special!