The 8th iteration of the Rugby World Cup is kicking off in London in just a few hours - is anyone else following it?
First game of the tournament is England up against Fiji. Should be a reasonably competitive game, although it would be a major upset if England were to lose. The English team (like many of the top nations) are pretty white, with 18 out of the matchday squad of 23 being of the caucasian persuasion.
Hosts England have to be counted as one of the favourites for the tournament, along with perennial contenders New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia.
The Irish have had a pretty terrible record in previous world cups, but this year they look like genuine challengers for the title.
Wales, Argentina, and France can also be counted as outside chances, although the former two have to contend with a lack of squad depth, while the latter have the talent but have been hugely inconsistent at international level for the last few years.
One possible reason for football fans to take a look, is related to the increased presence of NFL scouts this year. Due to the relative success of Jarryd Hayne (running back/return man for the 49ers) in his transition from Rugby to the NFL, there has been a lot more interest in the potential for other rugby players to potentially make the leap over to American football.
Also, while it would be naive to say that the caste system is not evident to some degree in rugby circles, it certainly is far less prevalent than what it seems to be in America.
First game of the tournament is England up against Fiji. Should be a reasonably competitive game, although it would be a major upset if England were to lose. The English team (like many of the top nations) are pretty white, with 18 out of the matchday squad of 23 being of the caucasian persuasion.
Hosts England have to be counted as one of the favourites for the tournament, along with perennial contenders New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia.
The Irish have had a pretty terrible record in previous world cups, but this year they look like genuine challengers for the title.
Wales, Argentina, and France can also be counted as outside chances, although the former two have to contend with a lack of squad depth, while the latter have the talent but have been hugely inconsistent at international level for the last few years.
One possible reason for football fans to take a look, is related to the increased presence of NFL scouts this year. Due to the relative success of Jarryd Hayne (running back/return man for the 49ers) in his transition from Rugby to the NFL, there has been a lot more interest in the potential for other rugby players to potentially make the leap over to American football.
Also, while it would be naive to say that the caste system is not evident to some degree in rugby circles, it certainly is far less prevalent than what it seems to be in America.
