The Royal family (and the world) are into it, so why not expand your horizons to a sport with the Sussex seal of approval?
Sports Curious presented by Last Night's Game, is here to help you join the sports conversation, even if you don't know the first thing about sports. We breakdown what's happening in sports in an easy to understand, fun way without all of the statistics and jargon so you never have to exit stage left when the chatter at the office, dinner table or a networking event switches to sports.
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[Transcript]
1. While you may have never considered watching the Rugby World Cup, you should because it’s a worldwide phenomenon that’s more popular than the Super Bowl (but we doubt it has better commercials). Around 98.2 million people watched this year’s Super Bowl and the last Rugby World Cup final drew an audience of 120 million. The tournament in Japan runs from September 20 - November 2, 2019. THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING
2. This tournament is nothing new – it started in 1987. This is the first time it has been hosted by an Asian nation and the crowds have been massive. Japan stockpiled beer and booze to accommodate the massive crowds, as many were worried that the rowdy rugby crowds would deplete the stash. We can guarantee you there are a lot of fans “shooting the boot” aka a “shoey.” Translated that means drinking a beer out of a cleat (sometimes a used one). CLEAT CULTURE
3. There are 20 teams representing 20 nations in the tournament that leads up to the big final game, where players play for the “Webb Ellis Cup,” the trophy that is name for the presumed creator of rugby. Unlike the FIFA World Cup (soccer) the country’s rugby associations pay the participants, not a bigger international organization (like FIFA). CASHING IN
4. Unlike the Women’s Soccer World Cup the United States is not the team to watch, although there’s certainly reason to believe that they’ll be a competitor in the not so distant future. Keep an eye on the defending champion All Blacks from New Zealand. The All Blacks always put top talent on the field and if anything, watch them for their pre-game haka dance. It’s the ultimate in ancestral intimidation. LIKE NOTHING YOU’VE EVER SEEN BEFORE
5. The Women’s Rugby World Cup happens every four years as well, with the next one taking place in New Zealand in 2021. The tournament in 2021 will be without gender identifiers and will be simply known as the ‘Rugby World Cup 2021.’ World Rugby is the first major sports federation to do away with gender from the competition title. ULTIMATE STATEMENT
Need a little more? Check out our rugby 101.
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