From The Vaults

Brian Moore was born in Birmingham in January 1962 and educated at Crossley and Porter High School, Halifax. He studied law at Nottingham University and played his first game for Nottingham against Moseley in 1981. He captained England Students while at university and played for Notts, Lincs & Derby in the 1985 County Final. He led England 'B' on his first appearance for the side against Italy in April 1985 and made his full international debut against Scotland at Twickenham in April 1987.

He played three matches in the first World Cup tournament in Australia in the summer of 1987 and went on to build an impressive nine-year career as the regular first-choice England hooker. The ultimate competitor possessed of a formidable turn of speed and excellent handling abilities, he went on to win 64 caps including three Grand Slams in 1991, 1992 and 1995 and both tests on the tours of Argentina in 1990 and South Africa in 1994.

He played 14 matches in three World Cup campaigns including the 1991 final against Australia and the 1995 semi-final against New Zealand. His sole international try was scored against Ireland in 1989 and he played his final match for England in the World Cup third place play-off defeat to France in Pretoria in June 1995. His tussles with successive French front rows and his soubriquet of 'Pitbull' have entered rugby legend.

He toured twice with the British and Irish Lions and played in 14 matches, scoring a try on his Lions debut against Western Australia in June 1989. He played in the three tests in the victorious series against Australia and in the second and third tests in New Zealand in 1993 where the Lions lost the series despite winning the second test. A qualified solicitor, he played his club rugby for Nottingham before moving to London in 1990 to work as a corporate financier where he played for Harlequins and then Richmond after rugby union went professional in 1995.

Since his retirement from rugby, Brian Moore has forged a career as a much respected journalist, author and rugby commentator. His analytical insights have been much appreciated and debated as befits a former rugby front row forward and qualified referee who has stated that he took part in over 75,000 scrums in his career! His autobiography Beware of the Dog written in 2009 won the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award.

About the Author - A professional musician and arts administrator, Richard Steele has been on the committee of the World Rugby Museum at Twickenham since 2005 and is the co-author of the RFU's 150th anniversary book 'England Rugby 150 Years'.