No Helmets Required: The Remarkable Story of the American All Stars

The remarkable story of 20 young American football players, convinced to compete internationally in rugby—a game they’d never heard of

In 1950s Los Angeles, entrepreneur Mike Dimitro convinced a group of young American athletes to fly around the world playing rugby league, a game that was entirely new to them. Miraculously, the American All Stars competed with the best Australia, New Zealand, and France had to offer, and shocked the locals with some stunning victories. This story tells not only of the media circus and celebrity adventures, but also the All Stars’ fights and flings, tragic illnesses, and farcical court cases. Dimitro’s mission to establish a rugby league in the United States failed in spectacular fashion—though one All Star went on to win the Super Bowl, one became a Hollywood stuntman, and another an Olympic champion. The emergence of their remarkable story coincides with the United States’s first ever qualification for the Rugby League World Cup, in 2013.

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No Helmets Required: The Remarkable Story of the American All Stars

The remarkable story of 20 young American football players, convinced to compete internationally in rugby—a game they’d never heard of

In 1950s Los Angeles, entrepreneur Mike Dimitro convinced a group of young American athletes to fly around the world playing rugby league, a game that was entirely new to them. Miraculously, the American All Stars competed with the best Australia, New Zealand, and France had to offer, and shocked the locals with some stunning victories. This story tells not only of the media circus and celebrity adventures, but also the All Stars’ fights and flings, tragic illnesses, and farcical court cases. Dimitro’s mission to establish a rugby league in the United States failed in spectacular fashion—though one All Star went on to win the Super Bowl, one became a Hollywood stuntman, and another an Olympic champion. The emergence of their remarkable story coincides with the United States’s first ever qualification for the Rugby League World Cup, in 2013.

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No Helmets Required: The Remarkable Story of the American All Stars

No Helmets Required: The Remarkable Story of the American All Stars

by Gavin Willacy
No Helmets Required: The Remarkable Story of the American All Stars

No Helmets Required: The Remarkable Story of the American All Stars

by Gavin Willacy

Hardcover

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Overview

The remarkable story of 20 young American football players, convinced to compete internationally in rugby—a game they’d never heard of

In 1950s Los Angeles, entrepreneur Mike Dimitro convinced a group of young American athletes to fly around the world playing rugby league, a game that was entirely new to them. Miraculously, the American All Stars competed with the best Australia, New Zealand, and France had to offer, and shocked the locals with some stunning victories. This story tells not only of the media circus and celebrity adventures, but also the All Stars’ fights and flings, tragic illnesses, and farcical court cases. Dimitro’s mission to establish a rugby league in the United States failed in spectacular fashion—though one All Star went on to win the Super Bowl, one became a Hollywood stuntman, and another an Olympic champion. The emergence of their remarkable story coincides with the United States’s first ever qualification for the Rugby League World Cup, in 2013.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781909178472
Publisher: Pitch Publishing
Publication date: 10/01/2013
Pages: 256
Product dimensions: 6.50(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Gavin Willacy is the author of three previous sports books including Rugby League Bravehearts. A sports reporter for 20 years, he now works in sports management and writes freelance for publications such as the Independent, League Express, Rugby League World, Sunday Times, and When Saturday Comes.

Table of Contents

Prologue: Five Men In LA 8

Once Upon A Time In America 10

Becoming A Bruin 12

The Show Of All Shows 20

Iron Mike In The City Of Angels 28

Wanted: The Truth 31

Indians To The Rescue 38

Sydney 1953 42

There Will Be Fireworks 51

Kick It, Pass It or Eat It 54

Good Night, And Good Luck 58

Farce, Fiasco, Fantasy 66

Hanging On 72

A Million Bruises 75

Enter The Clowns 82

The Far North 89

Last Men Standing 95

Tommy-Rot 101

Urgent: Help Needed 106

Shock And Awe 109

Auckland 118

North Island 124

South Island 128

The Final Straight 135

The French Trip 140

Allez Willie! 145

The Douche Bowl 156

Bird's Head's Banquet 160

Serious and Sober 164

Invite Rescinded 172

Nash, Nixon, Rozelle and The Rams 176

California Dreaming 181

Plotting In The Wee Small Hours 187

LA Confidential 192

Opportunity Knocked 198

A Sixties Revolution 204

Dimitro's World Cup 208

Epilogue 216

Appendices 220

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