Made for Rugby: The Autobiography

Leeds Rhinos and Great Britain forward Barrie McDermott is a modern rugby legend. Often described as notorious by the press, he admits he has had more punch-ups than hot dinners. McDermott - who has been awarded a testimonial season in 2005 - has been at the very top of British rugby league for more than a decade, starring for Oldham, Wigan and Leeds and earning caps for England, Ireland and Great Britain. But what is not widely known is the fact that McDermott has achieved all this despite the handicap of having lost an eye in a shooting accident when he was just 15. Away from rugby he has had regular brushes with the law - and in 1996 made national headlines when he was the first person in the country to be arrested by police using CS gas. He later spent time behind bars after skipping bail to play for Leeds in a match in Paris, being arrested as he got off the plane on the homeward journey. He has appeared before the Rugby Football League's disciplinary committee more than a dozen times, missing over 40 matches through suspension. This outspoken and fascinating autobiography of one of rugby's hardest men lifts the lid on one of the most remarkable careers in British sport.