This month is when the Southern Hemisphere sides (Australian Wallabies, New Zealand All Blacks, South African Boks) get their chance to take back the Webb Ellis Trophy - The Rugby World Cup.
A little history lesson about the RWC: Named after the Rugby Schoolboy who picked up a football and ran with it. The tournament pits the world's rugby teams against each other. Those teams come from different areas of the world with their own competitions.
For the North the tournaments are 6 Nations (England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales), The Churchill Cup (Canada, US and 2nd XV sides from the 6 Nations when they tour N America); Southern Hemisphere teams play in the tri-nations (Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa). There are also the South Sea Islands (the feeders to the All Blacks!) which include: Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga.
The tournament so far has only thrown up one surprise and that was when England won in 2003. Otherwise it has gone pretty much the way one would expect - dominated by the Southern Hemisphere teams (as can be seen below)
The RWC has been won by:
1987 - All Blacks (Tri-Nation, Southern Hemisphere)
1991 - Australia (Tri-Nation, Southern Hemisphere)
1995 - South Africa (Tri-Nation, Southern Hemisphere)
1999 - Australia (Tri-Nation)
2003 - England (6 Nation, Northern Hemisphere)
2007 - ?
Rugby is a great game for all you Stats Geeks/ Gurus as there are a lot of combinations that can be thrown together.
For you sports fans, why not spend some time visiting www.itv.com/Sport/rugbyworldcup or even on the BBC?
Okay time for an update: into the last 8 and they are - Argentina (major surprise for the tournament there!!), Australia, England, Fiji, France, New Zealand, Scotland and South Africa.
The quarter finals line up thus:
Australia 10 - 12 England
France - New Zealand
Argentina - Scotland
Fiji - South Africa
Potentially the Northern Hemisphere could end up with 3 of the semi-final places. Unlikely though!
So Australia (tournament co-favourites) have been sent home after being beaten up in the forwards by an England side who just didn't want to lose.
