In Iestyn Harris - There and Back, Welsh rugby internationalist Iestyn Harris tells his remarkable story for the first time. Harris is the first man to play rugby league and international rugby league, switch to playing rugby union and international rugby union, before returning to the game of rugby league again. Born and raised in Oldham, Harris was signed by Warrington in 1992 at 16, where he quickly established himself as a rising star. From there, he went from strength to strength, signing for Cardiff and playing in the 1995 Rugby League World Cup. In 1997, he transferred to Leeds Rhinos for a world record fee of GBP 375,000 and became the cornerstone of the Leeds revival. In 1998, he became Leeds' Players' Player of the Season after breaking the Rhinos' points record. The following year, at 21, Harris captained Leeds to a Challenge Cup Final win, a victory which gave them their first major trophy in 30 years. The new millennium saw Harris named as captain of the Wales national team before returning to play rugby union with Cardiff in 2001. Around this time, Clive Woodward repeatedly offered Harris a place in the England side, but Harris has always been very conscious of his Welsh roots - his grandfather was Welsh - and he was not to be swayed. Within a month, he was playing for the Welsh international side and in the following years he proved a key player in the revival of the Welsh union team. This culminated in their strong performance in the 2003 Rugby Union World Cup in Australia, where they finally lost to eventual winners England, despite taking the lead for 60 minutes. In 2004, Harris returned to rugby league, joining Bradford Bulls. Despite returning half way through the season, Harris made an immediate impact and the Bulls reached the Grand Final at Old Trafford. Harris was also part of the Great Britain team that pushed Australia hard until the final of the hugely successful Tri-Nations tournament. Now 28, Iestyn is at his prime and full of ambition for the Bulls and Great Britain. In Iestynn Harris - There and Back, he charts his remarkably varied and often controversial playing career, revealing the motives behind the decisions he has made so far in his career.

Author Biography

Iestyn Harris has played rugby since he was eight and began his professional career at Warrington in 1992. He moved to Leeds Rhinos in 1997 before leaving to play rugby union for Wales and Cardiff in 2001. Iestyn then returned to rugby league to play for the Bradford Bulls in 2004.