NiallSparky wrote: » Grand slams are incredibly common though, there's been 37 of them. 8 since the year 2002. Edit: Also worth pointing out that every country except for Italy has won at least one. Only 20 or so teams have progressed further in the World Cup than the Quarter Finals.
Tin Foil Hat wrote: » It's just you. Support for rugby has been on the increase since the start of the century.
ArnoldJRimmer wrote: » I assumed it was trolling when I saw the thread title. A sport played by every country in the world and a tournamenet thats extremely difficult to qualify for every 4 years. Our first time, and although it wasn't pretty we made it to the last 8 against all the odds
Jimoslimos wrote: » You could also argue that until recently, outside of Europe and South America soccer wouldn't have been close to being the most popular sport in many countries.
diomed wrote: » FIFA rankings go from 1 to 207.
THFC wrote: » But Europe and South America account for a huge portion of the world, so that's an utterly pointless statement. That, and you're also forgetting Africa.
who_me wrote: » So football is a sport in which a small number of teams dominate? Kinda like rugby so.
Jimoslimos wrote: » IRB rugby rankings go from 1 to 100.
Pherekydes wrote: » And how many could stay with New Zealand for 5 minutes? There are 8, or maybe 10 at the outside, competitive countries in Rugby.
Agricola wrote: » Rugby will never have the same impact as soccer. The rugby lads could win the 6 Nations 3 years on the trot and there would still be more excitement if the soccer team just qualified for a major finals and then got tanked, as they did last year. Plus Billo and the Dunph are just so much more charismatic that Tom McGurk n Hook.
Rightwing wrote: » Overall though rugby is a vastly superior game to soccer.
Rightwing wrote: » The problem with rugby is when we play the bog boys like the All Blacks,,,we get thrashed, have never beaten them, only the Munster boys could do that. Italia 90 was great,,,,but the world cup in japan/korea 2002 was even better. Overall though rugby is a vastly superior game to soccer.
DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: » If fairness Munster only beat a hungover Kiwi B team. :pac:
Rightwing wrote: » The national team can't even manage that.....losing by 60 odd points only last year :eek:
NiallSparky wrote: » Hence its far superior popularity worldwide.
Rightwing wrote: » I would suggest it's down to paupers. Any pauper can play soccer.
DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: » Aye when they roll in top flight like they did that night the gulf in class to us and them is stark. However the week before we caught them on the hop and came very close to turning them over. I say we probably will do it one day.
Jimoslimos wrote: » Italia 1990: P5 W0 D4 L1 GS 2009: P5 W5 D0 L0
Rightwing wrote: » Absolutely, what are the chances of doing it this year ?
DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: » Very slim I'd imagine, Although with the home crowd and them coming off the back of a long season it could be the moment. We can only hope.