This article first appeared in the Sep/Oct 2011 issue of World Gaming magazine.
The Rugby World Cup is about to get underway in New Zealand and rugby fanatics will have six weeks to lap it all up.
You might be forgiven for assuming those eccentric 17th century French aristocrats were behind the game of rugby (weren’t they behind every game?), but it actually goes back to the dour English. Small English country towns during medieval times would blow up a pig’s bladder and half the town would try to push it one way while the other half would try to push it back. There must have been precious little to do back in those days.
The game we know of today can be dated back to 1823 at an English school called Rugby. The story goes that a young schoolboy by the name of William Webb Ellis picked up a football one day and started to run with it. All of his friends tackled him to the ground and the game was born. Even though the story may bear little resemblance to the truth, the legend is so strong that rugby’s ultimate prize the Webb Ellis Cup bears the young boy’s name.
Those that play the game refer to it as the ‘game they play in heaven’. In most parts of the world it is played by the upper class and has been branded as an ‘animal’s game played by gentlemen’. In New Zealand and South Africa it is the country’s premier sport, played by all and sundry, and is closer to a religion than a sport.
The Rugby World Cup has been held every four years since 1987. The 2011 competition is being held in New Zealand. The world’s 20 best teams will come together to fight it out starting on September 9 through to October 23 when the final will be held at Eden Park in Auckland.
Flying the flag for Asia will be the Japanese team. Even though they have a rich World Cup tradition, and will host the competition in 2019, they are rank outsiders to lift the cup. Rugby is growing in Asia and many experts feel that there could be at least one more Asian team representing the region. Hong Kong, famous for its annual Rugby Sevens competition, has a very strong rugby culture and the game continues to grow in popularity in most other Asian countries.
The only problem with the Rugby World Cup is the difference in ability between the strong and the weak sides. The whole tournament needs to be reorganised to eliminate powerhouses crushing minnows in lopsided games but that is a topic for another time. There are six real chances in this competition, let’s take a look at their prospects and the prices on offer.
| New Zealand |
|
| World Cups | 1 (1987) |
| Odds | 1.75 |
The ‘All Blacks‘ are deserved favourites to win the 2011 Cup on their home turf. It is no exaggeration to say this will be the biggest event in New Zealand’s history. The country will go into years of mourning if they don’t win. There will never be a sporting team with as much pressure on them than this one and they have a long history of choking when the pressure is on. They are the best team in the world but at 1.75 they are far too short to be backing.
| Australia | |
| World Cups | 2 (1991 and 1999) |
| Odds | 4.00 |
If the Kiwis have traditionally been the World Cup underachievers, then the Aussies have always punched above their weight. They have the best coach in the world in New Zealander Robbie Dean and they have incredible talent in their backline with Quade Cooper possibly the most exciting rugby player ever to lace up the boots. Their forwards are a concern and they need to break even against more credentialled packs in the big games if they are to go all the way. The ‘Wallabies’ have faith in themselves and appear good value at this price.
| South Africa | |
| World Cups | 2 (1995 and 2007) |
| Odds | 7.00 |
The ‘Springboks‘ are the reigning world champions and won’t be afraid of dishing it up to their hosts if they cross paths. South Africa can never be written off and they have the all-important belief they can win. They have a nice blend of experience and youth, and appear excellent value at this price.
| England |
|
| World Cups | 1 (2003) |
| Odds | 11.00 |
The English are considered the best chance of the Northern Hemisphere teams. They were runners-up in the last World Cup and it can be argued they are a much better team than they were four years ago. Their only World Cup victory came in 2003 in Australia but that side was vastly superior to this one. It would be a big surprise to see them repeat the heroics of the past.
| France |
|
| World Cups | 0 |
| Odds | 19.00 |
The French have been the bridesmaids but never the bride when it comes to World Cups. They’ve had some famous wins but have never been able to string enough big games together to claim the title. Their form has been suspect over the last few years but there are things to like about the ‘Roosters’. At their best and on their day they can upset any team in the world. They play well in the Southern Hemisphere and they are at very juicy odds. Don’t be surprised if they make the semi finals and come in to half their original quote.
| Ireland |
|
| World Cups | 0 |
| Odds | 34.00 |
The Irish represent the best of the rest but should really be closer to 51.00 if the truth be known. They play with unbridled passion and have a few quality individuals like Brian O’Driscoll. They will feel at home in the wet New Zealand conditions but it would be a massive shock to see them come away with their first World Cup title.
