Ian Robertson joined the BBC during the golden age of radio broadcasting and received intensive training in the art of sports commentary from some of the biggest names ever to sit behind a microphone: Cliff Morgan, Peter Bromley, Bryon Butler, and John Arlott. Almost half a century after his introduction to rugby radio broadcasts by his inspirational mentor, Bill McLaren, the former Scotland fly-half reflects on his full career, during which he covered nine British and Irish Lions tours and eight World Cups, including the 2003 tournament that saw England winning the Webb Ellis trophy and "Robo" receiving accolades for his spectacular commentary on Jonny Wilkinson's decisive drop goal.
Reflecting on his days as a player, on his role in leading Cambridge University to prolonged dominance in the Varsity Matches, as well as his relationships with some of rugby’s most famous personalities, including Sir Clive Woodward and Jonah Lomu, he writes vividly and with much humor about his experiences as a racing enthusiast, his encounters with legendary golfers, and his interactions with a dazzling array of sports outsiders, from Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor to Nelson Mandela. It is an immensely entertaining tale that begins in a bygone era of rugby but has much to say about the game in the present.
