Rugby World Cup, including US, kicks off Friday
| Boston
The Rugby World Cup (RWC), commencing in New Zealand on Friday, September 9 and running until October 23, has been held every four years since 1987.
Taking place among eleven cities in the host country, the tournament consists of four 鈥減ools鈥� of five teams each, and comprises some of the best rugby teams or "unions" from around the world 鈥� including those from the 鈥�Six Nations鈥� tournament and the 鈥�Tri Nations鈥� group, which features Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Teams vie for the Webb Ellis trophy, as the cup is also known. It鈥檚 named for William Webb Ellis, the 19th century Anglican minister who is believed to have invented the game while a student at the Rugby School in England.
A highly physical game that in many ways loosely resembles American football, rugby uses an oblong, egg-shaped ball, which is a bit larger and more rounded than a typical American football. As in football, one can score points by kicking through uprights situated at the far-lengths of the field through so-called 鈥渄rop goals,鈥� and players can also run the ball into the goal, called a 鈥渢ry鈥� as opposed to the American football 鈥渢ouchdown.鈥�
However, there are also significant differences. Rugby uniforms offer little in the way of physical protection, and the game doesn鈥檛 include anything resembling the number of clock stoppages that American football, with all its 鈥減lays鈥� and 鈥渢ime outs,鈥� utilizes. Rugby and football teams each feature 鈥渇lankers,鈥� 鈥渉alf-backs,鈥� 鈥渇ullbacks鈥� and 鈥渃entres;鈥� but trying to compare rugby and football 鈥渇ullbacks鈥� would be like comparing the football 鈥渉uddle鈥� to the rugby 鈥渟crum.鈥� They may appear similar, but that鈥檚 where the comparison ends.
In this World Cup setting, all of the nations play four in-pool games 鈥� one each against their fellow pool opponents. Point and other systems are used to gauge rank during the tournament, which have been established by the International Rugby Board (IRB). The winner and runner-up of each pool then enter what is called the 鈥渒nock-out鈥� stage, which consists of quarter-finals, semi-finals, and a final match. The so-called 鈥淏ronze Final鈥� matches the losers of their semi-finals matches against each other to determine a third-place finisher.
In the six quadrennial tournaments held so far, Australia and South Africa each own two titles, and England and New Zealand have one cup apiece.
The USA team has quietly qualified for every RWC tournament since 1987, and though they鈥檝e had mixed results in past appearances (they鈥檙e 2-15 overall in that time), their present team includes eight former alumni of the University of California at Berkeley and promises to be one of the strongest they鈥檝e yet fielded.
The USA team captain, flanker Todd Clever - who plays professionally for the Suntory Sungoliath of the Japanese Rugby Football Union - is cautiously optimistic about the Americans鈥� chances within Pool C, which also includes Russia, Ireland, Italy and Australia. 鈥淲e want to start off strong, but it鈥檚 a huge ask against Ireland. Four short days later we鈥檝e got Russia. That鈥檚 going to be a tough game, but it鈥檚 one that we鈥檙e picking out to get a victory from - and Italy as well.鈥� Russia, it should be noted, is playing in its very first World Cup.
Tonga, with a current population of 105,000, is the smallest country represented - this being its sixth RWC appearance overall. It is one of numerous Pacific teams, including the host New Zealand All-Blacks, that begin each match with a ritual. The Sipi Tau, a traditional song sung prior to matches, accompanies the Kailao - a war-dance meant to display the team鈥檚 discipline, obedience and skill. Tonga rounds out a complement of three strong Pacific island teams, including Fiji and Samoa.
Of all the nations competing, Namibia may have the most to prove. It has been to three Rugby World Cups (1999, 2003 and 2007) where it finished 19th of 20 teams in 1999, and a rock-bottom 20th in each of the latter two. The team's main goal, it would seem, is to qualify for the next World Cup cycle. They are currently ranked 20th in the world; but nearly thirty 鈥渞atings points鈥� behind perennial powerhouse New Zealand. And speaking of the host team, if one goes purely by the organization of the pools and world rankings, there is an excellent chance of New Zealand and South Africa facing off in the semi-finals, with that winner potentially meeting Australia in the final 鈥� with other strong teams like France and England looking to pounce at the first sign of weakness.
