It's bit strange, but I'll start this review about another product. The
Dieux du Stade - Calendrier 2011 series of calendars - produced by the Stade Francais (Parisian) rugby team and featuring players alongside 'guest' models in saucy poses has been doing a roaring trade for a decade or so, and pretty much kicked attempts by UK teams out of the field. Dieux de Stade's success has been built on a mixture of brilliant artistic direction (whilst being inventive, also acknowledges the calendar is bought mainly for eroticism), the ability to persuade some very attractive sportsmen to bare an indecent amount of flesh, and the brilliant paper quality and print finish.
Rugby's Finest Hunks is not Dieux de Stade. The format is smaller, the paper used is thinner and the wirebinding is obviously cheaper. The pictures are all of very attractive rugger boys - mostly sourced from London Irish, Harlequins and Wasps - but they are doing pretty much what is expected; standing around with their shirts off and clinging onto their balls. Rugby balls. It is cheaper than Dieux de Stade and will be bought for the particular players featured, so it makes for a happy fan (of Danny Care, in my case).
To summarise, what it lacks in french sophistication, it makes up for in a kind of innocent, end-of-the-pier and 'Carry On Matron' style British charm. I look forward to 2012!