Unforgettable

In 2003, Steve Thompson was part of the England front row when the national side won the Rugby World Cup. He played at the centre of the scrum, one of the most brutal contests in sport.

Today he has no recollection of that final. He says that watching the footage back feels like seeing a ghost. Years of absorbing punishment and returning for more, in a sporting culture that expected it, have taken a heavy toll. Steve has been diagnosed with early onset dementia and serious, progressive brain damage. He and his wife Steph had planned a happy family life stretching across decades, but he is now trying to capture his fading memories for his four children before they are lost for good. He is in his early forties and some days cannot recall the names of his wife and children.

The book includes accounts from his World Cup-winning teammates and from his former manager, Sir Clive Woodward. It is a candid story of hope and courage, and a portrait of a man who is no longer pushing himself for competition, but for his own place in the world.