'The book offers a fascinating peek into how the rugby establishment worked in the 1960s and 1970s.'
Andy Capostagno, sports commentator at Supersport
Author John D’Eathe is a product of the golden years of amateur rugby. He has seen the game transform from elitist and non-inclusive into the brilliant, open Sunshine Rugby of today.
He met Tokkie Smith in 1959 in exotic Hong Kong and joined him for a decade in the waning days of the Empire and of Colonial rugby. He played regularly for the Club, a few times for Hong Kong and has a Blarney Stone Sevens tournament mug.
He lost out to concussion and took on RU Hon Sec. during the opening up of the game, leading later to the establishment of the Asia Rugby Union. He mixed with the amateur Old Toffs still running RFU from England.
He moved to Vancouver but continued rugby friendships that have helped him research this book. He looks back objectively and sees the impact his friend Tokkie Smith had upon world rugby. Many influenced change but Tokkie was special with his life totally committed to the game, progressively including different peoples and nations.
Perversely his liberal attitude caused his downfall and personal tragedy. In the crowning achievement of his life, his insistence upon the Sevens game being played and upon multi-racial inclusion produced the Hong Kong Sevens, which he organised and managed in its early years. It was this critical and exciting turning point in the international rugby paradigm for which he personally deserves the credit.
Author John D'Eathe asserted for many years that Tokkie Smith was an un-sung hero of today's all welcoming game. He is pleased that Tokkie has now taken his rightful place in rugby history.
Tim Noonan, South China Morning Post, Rugby journalist
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John D’Eathe was educated in the United Kingdom in law and urban land economics. After training in the City of London, he set off blithely for an adventurous business life in Colonial Hong Kong and Asia. A decade later he moved to Canada, commencing a long international career in property investment...
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