Rugby World Cup - Betting Odds, Event Details, Records and Favourites to Win
There are more than 600 million Rugby fans, with about 2.2 million Rugby players worldwide. This puts rugby on the list of the biggest sports in the world. Around 128 federations are officially associated with the sport on the global level.
History:How the game originated?
Rugby has its origins in the 1820s, as the game originated in 1823. A person had picked up the football and started running with it as the others chased him down during a soccer game. That was the rawest form of the sport to ever exist. Before that, the sport existed in other forms during the roman times. However, that’s the initially reported beginning of Rugby Football. The first-ever multi-nation championship was held in 1883 between England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Similarly, Rugby also became an Olympic sport in 1900, as it was included in the Paris games.
The Rugby World Cup:
In the 1950s, the idea of having a Rugby World Cup first came to life. However, most of the Rugby associations opposed the idea, and it was not until 1987 that the first-ever Rugby World Cup was organized. Australian and New Zealand Rugby associations had a key role to play in the organization of the Inaugural Rugby world cup as the two associations jointly hosted the competition.
In the modern world, the growth of Rugby has been so immense that it is often regarded as the third largest sports competition in the world, behind only FIFA World Cup and Summer Olympics.
Past Winners:Nine editions of the Rugby World Cup have been held so far, with the tenth edition scheduled for 2023. New Zealand and South Africa have been the most successful sides in the history of the Rugby World Cup.
New Zealand:
The Kiwis shared the record for winning the most Rugby World Cups in the history of the sport, with 3 titles to their name in 1987, 2011, and 2015. In addition to that, they also finished second in the 1995 edition of the Rugby World Cup. They also finished third in the history of the competition thrice.
With a top-three finish in 7 out of 9 editions so far, New Zealand surely is the most successful side in the history of Rugby World Cups.
South Africa:
South Africa is another team that has enjoyed great success in the tournament's history, with three gold medals to their name. In addition to winning the tournament thrice, South Africa has also finished third in the 1999 and 2015 editions of the tournament. They are the only side that has given a tough time to the black caps in the history of Rugby World Cups.
Australia:
The Aussies have also enjoyed a fair share of success, with 2 World Cup wins in 1991 and 1999. They were runners-up at the 2003 and 2015 editions of the Rugby World Cups and finished 3rd in 2011.
England:
England is the only other team to have won a Rugby World Cup. They won the 2003 edition of the Rugby World Cup. They finished as the runners-up in 1991, 2007, and 2019.
Trophy:
The Rugby World Cup trophy is named the Webb Ellis Cup. It is named after the man who picked up the football in a soccer game and introduced the world to Rugby, William Webb Ellis.
2023 Rugby World Cup:
The 2023 Rugby World Cup is scheduled to take place between 8th September 2023 and 28th October 2023. The competition will be held in France, with 20 nations participating in the event.
