Results in test matches in 2022 are an indication that predictability has deceased. In comparison to the closing of a year before prior Rugby World Cups, there is relative freshness in the air. This makes projections for the World Cup less certain. With the World Cup returning to France in …
Read More »Uruguay Progression from World Cup Return until 2023
Uruguay has been a success story of the past decade. Los Teros returned from missing out on Rugby World Cups 2007 and 2011 to now be a consolidated participant. For Uruguay, the focus changed from qualifying for World Cups to a sustainable long-term structure. How this happened may offer a …
Read More »Rugby Regional Progression, Regression and the World Cup
Rugby World Cup 2023 will be the tenth men’s Rugby World Cup. Sixteen teams competed in four pools of four at the inaugural tournament in 1987. It was expanded to twenty teams competing in five pools of four for RWC 1999. It changed to four pools of five for RWC …
Read More »Desirable World Cup 2023 Warm-Up Matches
Rugby World Cup 2023 will begin on September 08, 2023. Teams are to have a thin corrider in which to prepare in between the completion of professional seasons and the World Cup. There will be RWC warm-ups played. What are desirable World Cup warm-up matches for the Americas? Obtaining player …
Read More »Serious Eligibility Questions asked of more Italian World Cup players
Italy and World Rugby face an escalating player eligibility scandal. Hot on the heels of Spain’s disqualification from Rugby World Cup 2023, serious questions have arisen concerning the eligibility of Italian players that played in past Rugby World Cups. Italy has capped many players from Argentina. Among them are Italy’s …
Read More »Eligibility doubts over second Italy player at Rugby World Cups
Rugby faces a problem. Spain qualified for Rugby World Cup 2023 in March. In April the governing body of the sport deducted 10 points from Spain’s Rugby World Cup 2023 qualifying matches. The result in June was that Spain was out of the World Cup. Gavin van den Berg was …
Read More »Urgent Questions asked of Italy Player Eligibility at Rugby World Cups
In a significant reveal for rugby, a top player took to the field for an elite country in four World Cups and played in over 100 test matches despite not being eligible to do so. Italy fielded an ineligible player at Rugby World Cup 2003 and in three subsequent tournaments. …
Read More »North America Feels the effects of global imbalance in World Cup Qualifying
The tide has turned; North America now feels the effects of a global imbalance in World Cup qualifying. Chile and Uruguay both qualified for Rugby World Cup 2023 ahead of North American opposition. This is a fundamental change. It follows repeated cycles wherein Sudamérica Rugby requested changes in the qualifying system …
Read More »What a 24 team Rugby World Cup could look like
The Men’s Rugby World Cup may expand from 20 to 24 teams. The possibility has been raised and debated for a long time by rugby supporters. It may change for RWC 2027 in Australia, but RWC 2031 in the USA is more probable. What would a 24 team Rugby World Cup look …
Read More »Rugby Championship Preparing for Life Without South Africa
The Rugby Championship is preparing for life without South Africa. This is the reality despite today’s announcement that the Four Nations tournament has officially been signed to continue until 2025. Writing for the Daily Mail, Chris Foy says that South Africa are going to replace Italy in the Six Nations …
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