Rugby, writing and match-fixing with author John Daniell

Former professional rugby player turned author John Daniell, was a lock for the New Zealand Colts, Wellington and Oxford University where he studied English. When the sport turned professional in 1996 he headed to Europe to play, describing himself as a rugby mercenary. He has spent more than a decade living in France playing professionally for Racing Club de Paris, Perpignan and finally Montpellier. His playing days are over and John Daniell is now a full-time writer, dividing his time between New Zealand and Europe. His first book, Confessions of a Rugby Mercenary, won the British Sports Book Awards Prize for Best Rugby Book of 2010, and it was translated into French and Japanese. His latest novel is The Fixer focuses on a player whose career is starting to slide from living the dream to a nightmare. A tale of how a bright-eyed player can have their head turned and be drawn into sport's seedier side.