By Nik Schnebly

Most Americans probably have little knowledge on the rules of the game of Rugby. If you are one of these people make sure to check out my other article “Essential Rugby” which details the rules of Rugby.

Rugby is the world’s second most popular sport, and from September 18 to October 31 almost all other things in England will have to take a back seat. The 8th Rugby World Cup has began and even though this tournament has only been proceeding for 3 out of its 7 weeks, some major upsets have occurred.
One of the biggest of these upsets was the match between the Japanese National team and the South African Springboks in the opener. With a last minute try by replacement wing Karne Hesketh, Japan would overcome near 1000/1 odds to beat arguably one of the best teams in rugby.
One of the other big stories of the cup is the New Zealand All-Blacks, who could be compared to the New York Yankees in terms of popularity, have won all three of their matches and scored 127 points. The All-Blacks are the only team in all of professional sports to have a winning record against every team they have faced.
One last team that should be on your radar is the U.S. National team which unfortunately has lost their first three games but look promising in the future as they have only been an official team for 40 years compared to the All Blacks who were established in 1893.
With the World Cup now in full swing it is still possible for anyone to take the championship. Be sure to check out the 2016 olympics in Rio de Janeiro as 7 player rugby will make its debut with the American Eagles favored in the contest.