Hard to imagine two greater contrasting All Black biographies than these two ! Both perfectly timed for Father's Day.. All Black fans will have to read both.

Cory Jane - Winging it

Upstart Press  - $39.99

He just couldn’t help himself, could he? Cory Jane has never been shy when it comes to joking about his rugby career.

Now, he has produced a very different kind of biography – one that not only pulls back the curtain on the life and times of a World Cup-winning winger, but also charts his rise from the backs streets of Naenae to the bright lights of international rugby.

Oh, don’t worry, the purists amongst you will still learn a thing or two about the back of  the bus and the beauty of a well-defused bomb, but for those of you who enjoy the lighter side of life, you’ll be left wondering whether any of Cory Jane’s teammates will ever talk to him again.

Not since Eric Rush’s famously irreverent biography has a player taken so many shots at so many people, with so little regard for his career. Cory combines his innate ability to annoy everyone, with his unique talent for not taking himself the least bit seriously. 

 About his co-writer:

Broadcaster and writer Scotty Stevenson joined SKY Sport in 2007 and has refused to leave. Rugby has been his passion and he continues to work as a commentator, reporter and presenter for New Zealand’s national obsession. Scotty was named New Zealand Magazine Sport Feature Writer of the Year in 2012. A sucker for deadlines, Scotty is also a weekly columnist for The New Zealand Herald.

Jerome Kaino: My Story

The All Black legend and Blues Captain shares his story for the first time, in his revealing new autobiography

with Patrick McKendry

 Penguin Books - $40.00

Jerome Kaino: My Story tells the rags to riches tale of one of New Zealand's true sporting heroes, Jerome Kaino, in a revealing new biography.

Widely considered to be the best blindside flanker in world rugby, Jerome has clocked up over 50 All Black caps, 100 matches for the Blues and a Rugby World Cup victory.

He hit the world stage early: at just 21 years old, Jerome had been touted as the next big thing in world rugby, making a spectacular debut for Auckland, the Blues and the All Blacks.

Yet the dream beginning for this quietly talented Samoan kid from South Auckland would prove to be a false start: as he struggled to contend with the high expectations of top-level rugby, his career took a sharp turn for the worse and his life spiralled out of control.

In Jerome Kaino: My Story, Kaino is open and frank about his career speedbumps, including a drinking problem and conviction, the pressures of elite rugby at a very early age, particularly for the young Polynesian players, hoping he can flag his own warning signs to others.

From his infamous manoeuvre against Wallaby, Digby Ioane, in the 2010 World Cup Semi-final, his thoughts on other International teams, being a man of faith and family, moving to Japan and playing for Toyota with a shoulder injury, considering the captaincy of The Blues, through to sharing his responses to those difficult early matches – Kaino lays bare his greatest triumphs and adversities.

As the 2015 Rugby World Cup approaches, these are rare insights ahead of perhaps his greatest test of all – what we are all hoping will happen: winning back-to-back world cups for New Zealand.

About the author

After emigrating from American Samoa, Jerome's family set up a new life in South Auckland, getting by in very humble circumstances. Jerome started his rugby career well; having played every game for Auckland in his first year of NPC rugby, he was picked as a future superstar of the game. He debuted for the All Blacks that same year, playing out of his skin against the Barbarians at Twickenham, a man-of-the-match performance. But by his own admission, it was too much and too soon. Jerome talks openly about a drinking lifestyle and the serious injuries that brought his early All Blacks career to a grinding halt. But through adversity came strength. Seven years later, Jerome played every minute of the All Blacks victorious Rugby World Cup campaign and was later nominated for the IRB player of the year. This was followed by a lucrative Japanese rugby contract and a remarkable return to the All Blacks squad in 2014/15 to take up the challenge of the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Patrick McKendry is a sports writer for the New Zealand Herald.