Rugby World Cup

The globe's most savage and courteous athletes have descended on France this fall to contest rugby's most hallowed competition. The sport requires the physicality of American football, the endurance of ice hockey, and the skill of tennis. Why doesn't this compelling spectacle draw the world's largest fanbase? Should we have included this post in our obscurity section?

The old adage that football is a gentleman's game played by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan's game played by gentlemen rings true. Why are rugby players so civil anyway? Does the reason trace back to outdated societal class structure? Yeesh. Regardless, surely the humble and respectful nature of the sport garners it a greater following among fans, yes? Or does the culture of rugby instead hold it back from worldwide attention? Catch up on the state of the 2023 Rugby World Cup and the sport as a whole.

All Blacks scrum half Aaron Smith makes a pass at the last Rugby World Cup, held in Japan

The Tournament

The favorites

The four nations slated as serious contenders coming into the competition remain in strong positions after ten days of play. Host nation France made a statement with victory over the All Blacks, New Zealand's storied program, on opening night of the event. Les Bleus relied on the calm decision-making of their captain and all-world scrum half Antoine Dupont, who led them to a 27-13 result in the test. After this setback, the All Blacks rebounded with a strong performance against Namibia. Oddsmakers still believe New Zealand's squad has a strong chance to appear in the final at Stade de France in late October. The pundits, fans, and players will be on the edge of their seats come this Saturday for a blockbuster matchup between the other two favorites. The two top-ranked nations in the world, Ireland and defending World Cup winners South Africa, clash to establish pole position in pool B. Ireland will match their best-ever finish in the competition just by advancing through pool play into the quarterfinals, but hope to announce themselves as serious challengers for the title with a strong performance against the Springboks.

Keep an eye out

Several traditional powerhouses hope to avoid early exits. Argentina and Scotland, two nations who have previously made the semifinals of the World Cup, hope to rebound after rough starts to their campaigns. Argentina may have lost to England in their opener, but the Pumas are happy to have gotten the most difficult fixture in their pool out of the way early. Scotland also came up short in their first test match, falling to South Africa. The outlook isn't quite as rosy for the Scots, though, as they will have to face their Shamrock-laden rivals from across the Irish Sea in the pool B finale in a few weeks' time.

Bonus points could play savior or heartbreaker for the nations that find themselves on the qualification bubble near the end of pool play. This format rewards teams with a single point for scoring four or more tries in a match or losing by seven or less points. The official protocol may seem a bit arbitrary, but these bonuses could make a difference come mid-October. Two-time World Cup winners Australia may need to account for bonus points as they also have some ground to make up. Following the Wallabies' defeat to Fiji, they'll look to turn things around to advance out of a crowded pool C. One of Wales, Fiji, or Australia will be disappointed to be left without a chair after the four pool matches conclude.

OL Stadium in Lyon will host several of the remaining pool matches

The stars

The opening match of the World Cup between France and New Zealand, held in the former's greatest sporting ground, attracted its fair share of noteworthy spectators. Entertainment stars Jason Momoa and Taika Waititi, both ardent All Blacks supporters, took in the action together. Former rugby stars celebrated their sport, including New Zealand greats Dan Carter and Richie McCaw. Athletes from other sports witnessed the French victory. Formula 1 driver George Russell made an appearance. Soccer greats, past and present, also attended the test match. David Beckham and his son watched the contest at Stade de France. Current French superstars Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann accompanied some of their teammates, and the PSG talisman even went viral when his expression suggested he wasn't quite following the intricacies of the match. Thankfully for Mbappé, there was no confusion once Les Bleus secured the win.

The Culture

Watch just one match of the 2023 Rugby World Cup and you'll learn what the culture of the sport is all about. Giant men tackle, maim, and torture each other for eighty minutes. Throughout the struggle, they abide by the referee's instructions. If a player gets a cleat to the ankle, he winces but immediately soldiers on. Only the squad's captain argues his team's case to the officials, sometimes while blood trickles down his face. If a decision goes against them, rugby players nod and move on to the next play. After the final whistle, they shake hands and pat each other on the back. The All Blacks epitomized this spirit of sportsmanship by signing one of their jerseys and sending it to a Namibian player who suffered a grisly ankle injury in their match.

Its reputation as gentlemanly game, however, dates back to a time when to be a "gentleman" didn't refer to one's courtesy or kindness, but rather to their birth certificate. An article in The Economist, written during the 2019 edition of the World Cup, explores the historical connection between rugby and the British class system: "English Rugby is getting less white, but not much less posh." The article refers specifically to England, but the country does still hold quite a bit of sway over rugby as a whole. Rugby's origins are disputed, but the popular story of William Webb Ellis, after whom the World Cup trophy is named, picking up a football with his hands at the Rugby School in 1823, represents the looming question of class in the sport. In fact, reputed rugby minds suggest that this tale was fabricated by the upper class to tighten its grip on the sport. The latter half of the nineteenth century saw a fracture in the game as rugby league, distinct from the traditional rugby union, gained steam in the working class north. Rugby union, fittingly, is still the most popular version or the sport. The World Cup involves this particular brand of rugby.

Rugby culture on full display between men who tried to slaughter each other minutes before this

In England, rugby remains cost-prohibitive to many young athletes. Although it's hardly the only sport to be so, such issues of opportunity are certainly linked to two centuries of socioeconomic inequality. More than half of England's squad for the 2019 World Cup attended private schools. At the same point in time, only one twentieth of the country's soccer team had attended private school, marking a much more accurate representation of the English population. Rugby's culture of respect and decency is one of its strongest assets. If the game can hold on to that quality while working to counteract its historical ties to antiquated social stratification, fans will flock to future World Cups.

The Obscurity Question

Like...How is rugby not a bigger deal in the United States? Does it not have all the physicality of American football? The game even has a similar cadence, with so much slogging through the trenches before one inspired pass (kick) downfield or revolutionary misdirection breaks the play wide open for a thrilling score. First of all, international rugby is really the essence of the sport. More so than any other high-profile team sports, competition between national teams is well clear of club play in terms of significance to fans and players. To that end, the United States' national team doesn't have the most stellar record. They've never progressed to the quarterfinals, and the Stars and Stripes didn't manage to qualify for the competition at all this time around. In their last chance to make it to France, the American team fell in dramatic fashion to a lackluster Portugal side. The hope is that the national team can turn around its reputation in rugby quickly, and certainly before the 2031 World Cup, slated to take place in the States.

On-field success isn't the only factor in rugby's limited influence and coverage in America (don't you imagine the acknowledgement of this World Cup being a 45-second highlight reel of the final on Sportscenter, akin to the US Senior Open in golf or the NCAA tennis tournament). Sports fans desire, more and more, the loud personalities and viral soundbytes that crowd ESPN's social media. In following rugby, these same fans would starve for lewd comments or scandalous personal blunders. In fact, there's a notable parallel in the NHL. Hockey finds itself on the lowest rung of North America's big four leagues. Although millions of fans adore the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the speed of the game, hockey doesn't quite grab the public's attention as much as other sports. In hockey, one can find plenty of similarities to rugby. The brutal physicality. The grit to soldier on through not-so-minor injuries. The humble interviews and deferential attitudes. No fist fights in rugby though. Lives would be lost. Hockey also prides itself on having a culture that centers modesty and respect. The league and a corporate partner promoted an ad campaign during last year's playoff run showing highlights of players saying "we" instead of "I." The handshake line after every postseason series involves dozens of warm wishes and acknowledgements of great performances. Perhaps the culture that hockey and rugby players are so proud of is the very thing holding their games back from wider attention.

Can rugby increase its exposure while its star athletes refrain from boastful proclamations? Will American fans show up in 2031 if the players all behave themselves on the field of play? Does rugby need to shed its schoolboy image, rooted in days gone by of class divide, in order to grow the game? Cynics might say yes. They also might imply that an upheaval of the culture is necessary to rectify historical inequities that persist in today's rugby. Keep the beautiful spirit of your sport, rugby. Grow the game on your own terms, reaching children that might not have been welcome in the past. You need not sacrifice something beautiful to mend a history tainted by injustice. Instead, entrust it with your future. Until then, we'll be watching. RSA v IRL. Saturday, September 23. Not to be missed.