Kurt Won, author and illustrator, holding My First Rugby Book

Our story: how My First Rugby Book began

a book for my son

Rugby has been part of my life since I was a boy in South Africa. Twenty-five years later, my son asked me for a rugby book and I couldn’t find the right one.

So I taught myself to illustrate, and made it.

Kurt Won · author and illustrator

Where it started · South Africa, 1990s

the year rugby changed everything

In the early 1990s my dad would take me to Loftus Versfeld to watch the Blue Bulls, then Northern Transvaal, and players like Joost van der Westhuizen.

I started playing rugby at high school in 1995, the year South Africa hosted the Rugby World Cup. I was lucky enough to be at Ellis Park when the Springboks won it for the first time. Watching Francois Pienaar lift the trophy alongside Nelson Mandela showed me how rugby could bring people together and help change a country.

Later that year I met my heroes. I’ve carried those memories ever since, and they’re the passion behind everything I make.

Me with Francois Pienaar, Springbok captain

Me with Joost van der Westhuizen, scrum-half

Me with Chester Williams and Chris Rossouw, wing and hooker

Me with André Joubert and Hannes Strydom, full-back and lock

Twenty-five years later

“dad, can you buy me a rugby book?”

During lockdown my son joined the minis at Barnes Rugby Club. He loved it and asked endless questions about the game, but there was hardly any live rugby to watch.

Then one day he asked if I could buy him a rugby book. In 2020 I searched Google, Amazon and every online bookshop I could find. All I found were activity books, or books for much older readers.

A year later I searched again, and filmed it. Still nothing that felt right for his age.

I was frustrated. Instead of giving up, I decided to make one myself.

1. First sketch: Concussion in pencil and marker pens

3. In the book: “Concussion”, The Rugby Book for Kids