Publisher's Synopsis
Japanese speaking South African rugby-player with a hidden-scandalous past returns to scheme his way to the top, The Rise of the Dagger Will Xolile Dalindyebo's scandalous past in Japan come to haunt his new schemed success in South Africa, and to his team? And what happens when he returns to Japan? Xolile is the main character in former rugby-player Gcobani Bobo and Elvis Jack's new hero novel, 'The Rise of the Dagger - What Happens in a Rugby Story When Life Interrupts?' Bobo played for the Lions, Springboks and the Newcastle Falcons in England. Xolile Dalindyebo comes out of nowhere to play rugby explosively. His history is uncertain but the fans love him. He is small yet very strong, electrifyingly fast with an intelligent sidestep and an instinct for the game. He connives an arrangement with a divorced maverick journalist to construct his public persona, carefully using Twitter to project his image and to protect his past. The book has twists and turns. It has all the behind-the-scenes sports drama the public is often not privy to - sex scandals, race conflicts, sabotage. As Xolile Dalindyebo's popularity increases, his role within the team grows stronger after some inner club maneuvering. In parallel with this, Xolile embarks on a series of reconnaissance visits to unlikely places to recruit extra players, a bit like the search for special skills in the Magnificent Seven film. With extra talent and a slew of new tactics on the field, this could finally be the year of the Lions... But nothing is as it seems in the world of rugby and Xolile's past may still return to haunt him and the team.... Gcobani Bobo currently coaches and commentates on rugby. He played professional rugby for 15 years for a number of local and foreign teams, including the Springboks Lions, Cats, Sharks, Western Province, Stormers and the Newcastle Falcons in England. Elvis Jack is the author of a number of books.
