RUGBY

Magne: A Rugby World Cup in Europe is special 

source:http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/

(Other) Tuesday 2 October 2012 

Jonny Wilkinson at the grave of William Webb Ellis in Menton - Photo: Sébastien Pons / England Rugby 2015

Olivier Magne and Will Greenwood with the Webb Ellis Cup in front of the Eiffel Tower - Photo: Sébastien Pons / England Rugby 2015

France has an affinity with Rugby World Cup. While the national side are yet to take the final step in lifting the Webb Ellis Cup, they have lit up the tournament throughout its history. From Serge Blanco in 1987 to Christophe Dominici in 1999 and Thierry Dusautoir in 2011, Les Bleus have had many heroes to remember and classic moments to savour.

Sitting just yards from the trophy during the Paris stopover of the road trip from Rugby School to the opening European qualifier for RWC 2015 between Hungary and Bulgaria, former France flanker Olivier Magne was quick to point out the importance of the tournament to every aspiring player.

“We live with the memories of the Rugby World Cup, from the first one in 1987, and during my youth and career I played with pictures of the World Cup,” he said. “To see the World Cup in Europe is special, it’s one of the most famous events in the world and the main target for a rugby player is to win it. First, you want to play in it, and after that you want to win it for your country.”

One of the finest players of his generation, Magne starred at two Rugby World Cups. His first, in 1999, saw France fall in the final against John Eales’s classic Wallabies side. Prior to that, though, they carved out a chapter in the tournament’s history with their semi final victory over New Zealand at Twickenham.

Just 24 hours after Australia had won a seminal encounter with South Africa in the first semi final, France turned on the style to stun the All Blacks 43-31. It remains one of the most thrilling matches in history, but the emotional investment required left France lacking once the Wallabies rolled into Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium for the final.

“We played very badly during the pools,” Magne recalled. “After that we played a very good quarter final against Argentina in Dublin, but we had to play against the All Blacks, the favourites for the competition, in the semi final. We were not prepared to win against the All Blacks. After that, it was like we had won the World Cup.

Almost perfect

“We had not been in the ‘plan’ to win the World Cup. After that, we played Australia, and Australia prepared very well. They were prepared to win it. It was too emotional for us to have two games like this, with pressure on our shoulders. The Australians deserved to win it, but it was too emotional for us.”

Four years later, Magne was part of a French team in Australia that came up short in the semi finals against the eventual champions, England. Despite a brace of disappointments at the sharp end of the competition, the former Montferrand and London Irish openside savoured the unique experience.

“It’s global,” he said. “You play in a country, have many different games and you can see the competition – all the games of the teams you can play against. It’s a very particular moment, all the teams in the world meet together in one event. The atmosphere is very different to all the other competitions.”

Magne played his last Test for France in June 2007, just months before the Rugby World Cup exploded into life in his home country. A riot of colour and flavour, the tournament was a huge success characterised by packed houses across the board and a carnival atmosphere. With Rugby World Cup 2015 on the horizon, lessons will be learned from France’s lead and New Zealand’s ‘stadium of four million’ in 2011.

“We organised the World Cup in 1998 for the soccer and France won it,” Magne remembered. “A lot of attention came to the Rugby World Cup in 2007. France wanted to recreate the same situation as 10 years before.

“The event was excellent, all the stadiums were full and France likes to make a big party around sports competitions. Everything was perfect apart from the final of the competition – France was not involved in it. It was a very good experience for France to be able to organise a competition like that and I think it will be the same in England in 2015.”

source:http://www.rugbyworldcup.com

As the man who kicked England to victory over Australia in the final of Rugby World Cup 2003, Jonny Wilkinson will always have a special place reserved in the history of the tournament. His extra-time drop goal remains one of rugby’s iconic images, not to mention a classic chapter in one of sport’s most enduring rivalries.

Having played at four Rugby World Cups – the first in 1999, just a year after being blooded on England’s infamous ‘tour of hell’ – Wilkinson understands the competition’s special place in the calendar, and what it takes to go all the way.

After a long career in England with Newcastle, Wilkinson upped sticks for the south of France and a contract with Toulon in 2009. A fluent French speaker and darling of the club’s passionate fans, the switch reinvigorated his game and led to another chance at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand last year.

Soaking up the morning sun in Menton, prior to laying flowers at the grave of William Webb Ellis as part of the Rugby World Cup road trip across Europe, Wilkinson credits his experiences in 1999 with helping to develop the all-round game that would drive England to victory four years later and set up a long and fruitful career.

“What it meant to me going in was very different to what it meant to me during, and very different to what it meant afterwards,” he said. “Before I went in I wasn’t really aware of what it was all about, I was a little bit naive and innocent to the Rugby World Cup and what it meant. I knew there was a buzz about it because there was such a big build-up, but I went in thinking, ‘it’s just a game, it’s just rugby’. 

Three years to go until RWC 2015 begins

(RUGBY WORLD CUP) Tuesday 18 September 2012

Twickenham marks three years to go until RWC 2015 kicks off

With three years to go until Rugby World Cup 2015 kicks off in England, confidence is high that the world’s showpiece Rugby tournament will be spectacular, creating a lasting legacy both for England and the continued global development of Rugby.

Aside from the smooth running of the global sporting spectacle, the England Rugby 2015 (ER 2015) organising body and tournament owners Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL) are working hard to deliver a Rugby World Cup that will offer a winning blend of world-class facilities for teams and travelling supporters, while providing the catalyst for Rugby to grow beyond its traditional heartlands.

In the three years since the Rugby Football Union (RFU) was awarded the tournament, significant foundations have been laid for the successful delivery of a Rugby World Cup that will see 2.8 million tickets available and upwards of 400,000 international fans visiting England.

Since the England Rugby 2015 offices opened in January 2012, key senior management positions have been filled and a strong partnership established between ER 2015 and RWCL, learnings from an outstanding Rugby World Cup 2011 implemented, operational planning advanced and initial venue tours undertaken.

Speaking at a Twickenham media briefing to mark the occasion, RWCL Managing Director Brett Gosper said: “Rugby World Cup Limited is confident that, as we reach this key landmark, the planning and preparation is on track and in line with previous Rugby World Cups.” 

SOURCE:http://www.rugbyworldcup.com