Higgy: Matches, Microphones & MS

Alastair Hignell is renowned as a rugby international for England, a county cricketer and a much-loved broadcaster. Forced to retire from his playing careers at an early age due to injury, and then from his broadcasting career when his struggle with MS became too overwhelming, he has nonetheless lived life to the full.
 
Higgy tells his inspirational story with warmth and humour – from growing up as a bright and very competitive young lad, on to his successful Cambridge university days where he was the first person to captain both the rugby and cricket first teams, through his playing careers against and alongside some of the all-time greats in both sports, and a prominent broadcasting career that took him around the world to cover some of the biggest sporting events and characters.
 
All this success was brought into sharp relief by his diagnosis with MS, which eventually forced his retirement from broadcasting but also prompted him to become one of the leading campaigners for those suffering from the disease.
 
Higgy's has been a tough journey, and his story is a fascinating example of strength and determination when faced with adversity. Appealing to a broad range of sports fans, this story is about setbacks and triumphs, about making the shift from the athletic struggles of sport to the struggle of performing everyday tasks. It's the genuine and emotional story of how a highly successful sportsman faced up to a devastating illness and became one of the most inspiring personalities of our age.

Praise for Higgy:

‘An inspiring and engaging read from one of our most loved sporting personalities’ Sir Clive Woodward
‘An honest, humbling autobiography which soars beyond the narrow confines of the sporting shelves’ Stuart Barnes
‘A rare book – utterly wonderful and full of heart’ Jonathan Agnew
‘Monumental. Transcending great sport and revealing incredible fortitude in adversity, and the iron in a stricken sportsman’s soul’ Stephen Jones, Sunday Times
‘Alastair Hignell was one of the last player to excel in two sports and, more importantly, he was a great tourist who was loved across the world. His story is fascinating, and its publication is long overdue’ Paul Morgan, Editor Rugby World
‘A very special read’ Miles Harrison, Sky Sports