England International Rugby Union Team Captain

Martin Johnson is the towering second row forward who has come to set the standards of what a modern, professional rugby player should do. His drive and physical presence mean that he is a natural leader on the pitch - and off it, too.

In his autobiography he looks at how the sport has changed since going professional in 1995 and the issues this has raised. He explains why he led the England team to the brink of a strike in the autumn of 2000 and provides revealing insights into England's World Cup campaigns, the Lions tours and all the goings-on that make rugby the sport it is.

Martin Johnson has achieved all there is to achieve in rugby since making his England debut in 1992. He has captained his club, Leicester, to all the major honours, winning four successive league titles (1999-2002) and two European cups (2001-2002); he's led England with huge success, including the 2003 Grand Slam and captaining the English squad to win the World Cup Final in Australia also in 2003.

In his first book 'Rugby and All That', Martin traces the story of amateur rugby stating from the moment when William Webb Ellis picked up the ball at Rugby School during a game of soccer and ran with it, through to the world of the professional game at the top level in 2000. The result is a hilarious account of the development of a game which has provided scope for bruising physical contact and bawdy songs in schools, universities and clubs throughout the world. Martin wittily describes the wide appeal of rugby while highlighting the heroes, the larger than life characters, the great performances and the memorable battles in both the Southern and Northern hemispheres.

An excellent leader and team player, Martin is a highly motivating speaker and offers audiences great insight into the game of professional rugby and the driving forces behind his success both on and off the pitch.