Rugby is great for the soul he writes but terrible for the body.Rugby hurts. It demands mental resilience and resistance to pain. It explores character beyond a capacity to endure punishment.Dylan Hartley one of Englands most successful captains tells a story of hard men and harsh truths. From the sixteenyearold Kiwi who travelled alone to England to the winner of ninetyseven international caps he describes with brutal clarity the sports increasing demand on players and the toll it takes on their mental health as well as the untimely injury that shattered his dreams of leading England in the 2019 World Cup.The Hurt is rugby in the raw a unique insight into the price of sporting obsession.Few have had more twists and turns in a pro rugby career Robert Kitson GuardianAnyone who cares about the game in which he won 97 caps for England and played 250 times for Northampton should read Hartleys book Don McRae GuardianThe Sunday Times Sports Book of the Year December 2020