RWC 2019 will make the second appearance of the world’s largest country on rugby’s biggest stage. With the rebranding from the former International Rugby Board (IRB) to World Rugby the opportunity of opening a RWC with Japan vs Russia is a dream come true for the organizers. Not only is …

Two-time former RWC champions, Australia are a major force in the sport of rugby. The Wallabies have played in every RWC, making the Semi Finals in all but two of the prior eight tournaments. The 2019 team will go into the tournament looking to return home with the title. Do …

Ranked 3rd in the world, Ireland is a serious contender to win RWC 2019. Having won their pool in the previous two RWC tournaments the men in green are a definite team who have the potential to make history in Japan. It is fair to ask if this Irish side …

The most successful country in the history of the RWC is New Zealand. The All Blacks are the only team yet to be defeated in a pool match and are the only three-time champions. Their titles were won in 1987, 2011, and 2015. The first two came on home soil …

With a population of 0.106 million Tonga is to be the smallest competitor at RWC 2019. Yet the size of the Tongan players more than makes up for any perceived shortage in player resources. At RWCs Tonga has long defied the odds. In fact long before the inaugural Rugby World …

Scotland have been ever-present at RWCs. This is true both in terms of playing in all tournaments in addition to being competitive. The Northern Europeans have a highly reputable record of reaching the knock-out stages in every RWC aside from that of 2011. The Scots best campaign was in 1991 …

One of the success stories of the expansion of RWCs from 16 to 20 teams has been Georgia. The former Soviet Republic debuted in RWC 2003 and, despite being winless, would give South Africa a freight. Three years later the Lelos would finish third in their pool. In their second …

As two-time Rugby World Cup Champions, South Africa are among the giants of rugby both past and present. The Springboks have the means of defeating all opposition and are one of the few teams to have the longevity to get through the marathon that is a World Cup tournament. Unable …

In many past World Cups, France has been a great enigma. The elimination of New Zealand at the hands of Les Bleus in RWCs 1999, and 2007 continue as main features on the highlight reel of World Rugby videos promoting the sport. Among other things that prior World Cups demonstrate …

A query that pops up with regularity is who are Argentina’s European-Based legion? For some it is an interest in identifying (a) which players based abroad could make the RWC Roster while for others it (b) is seeking an answer as to who all the players are. This article will …