Pundits had suggested a strong World Cup performance was vital for the health of the game. The horror result in France will put even more pressure on the sport to reform to stay relevant.
South Africa play Scotland during the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP via Getty Images)
Rugby players risk serious injury due to the game’s sheer physicality. Sports scientists have worked with international rugby bodies to improve safety.
Dulani Jayasuriya, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Jacky Liu, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau, and Ryan Elmore, University of Denver
A new machine learning model can pinpoint anomalies in sports results – whether from match fixing, strategic losses or poor player performance. It could be a useful tool in the fight against cheating.
Canan Moodie is one of the talented young players an ageing South African team will be relying on to win their fourth title.
Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images
The springbok emblem was introduced under white rule in South Africa and by retaining it, it remains a burden for many South Africans who followed the Rugby World Cup.
One of the most pressurised roles in the pressure cooker that is the Rugby World Cup is the referee. Threatening fans are causing them to quit the game at all levels.
Many South Africans hold onto the hope that a win in the World Cup translates into another defining moment for the country.
Josh Adams of Wales scores one of four tries during the Rugby World Cup match between Wales and Fiji on Wednesday. They earned Wales a bonus point.
HIROSHI YAMAMURA/EPA
It’s all about the Antipodes in the Halloween final.
Northern nations may dominate in the numbers of teams in the Rugby World Cup but Southern teams tend to dominate in the play, such as Australia’s win over England to throw the host nation out of the competition.
Reuters/Stefan Wermuth
Controversial refereeing decisions dogged the later stages of the last couple of World Cups. Little wonder that teams are doing their homework on officials like never before.
Some fans take their sport very seriously such as this Hawthorn supporter during the 2013 AFL Grand Final. But what if you don’t have a team in the finals?
AAP Image/David Crosling
Which team you support in sport can depend on many things. But who should you barrack for in this packed weekend of sport if none of your favoured teams are in any of the games?
Rugby is often seen as the clash of the giants and this year’s Rugby World Cup includes some mighty players. But there’s more to winning a game than just brute force.
Associate Professor in Exercise and Sport Physiology, Director of Research Operations at the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living (ISEAL), Victoria University