Rugby World Cup: Half Full History
June 19th 2007 16:08
RWC Australia match programs 87-03
In the beginning....
Prior to the [existing] Rugby World Cup, there had been various competitions that were similar in nature.
It became the Five Nations in 1910 when France joined, although they were excluded from 1931 to 1939 amid allegations of professionalism. (this would be lack of professionalism due to their squirrel like nature. They like foraging for...nuts.)
Though the nations' tournament was a European affair, it was one of the few consistent international competitions.
Rugby Union was also played at the Summer Olympics, first appearing at the 1900 Paris games and subsequently at London in 1908, Antwerp in 1920, and Paris again in 1924. France won the first gold medal, then Australasia, with the last two being won by the United States.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) however cancelled Rugby Union as an Olympic sport.
The idea of a Rugby World Cup had been suggested on numerous occasions as far back as the 1950s, though the IRFB made it clear that it did not want its member unions to get involved in anything like a world championship.
The idea resurfaced throughout the early 1980s, and was dismissed at a 1983 IRFB meeting.
It is thought that the defining moment in the creation of such a tournament came when the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) and the New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU) each independently wrote to the IRFB seeking to conduct a World Cup tournament.
In 1985 the IRFB approved the inaugural cup, which was to be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand during May and June of 1987, though the proposition was met with much opposition, led by the British and Irish delegations.
The decisive vote to approve the proposal came from the South African delegates, who voted in favor despite knowing that the international sports boycott on their country's apartheid regime would prevent their team from participating in the tournament.
To commemorate the historic occasion of Rugby World Cup 2003, being solely hosted for the first time in Australia, the Australian Mint had issued a special edition proof coin, struck in 99.9% fine silver with 99.9% gold plated 'William Webb Ellis Cup' in the centre.
It highlights the magnificent prize at the centre of this wonderful sporting event...the William Webb Ellis Cup.
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The above information (in green) has been 'lifted' from Wikipedia.
To read further and in more detail, please click on the following link;
History of The Rugby World Cup
images courtesy of:
Rugby Relics
Mint Coins
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Comment by David
I like these sporting history posts.
As for the coin? "This goes straight to the pool room!"
David ...