History was made on November 22 2003 – England was crowned the World Champion. Everything was ready for rugby to explode in England, for the national team to kick-on, for the level of the domestic game to continue growing and for the sport to truly become prominent nationwide. It did not eventuate. England lost far too many matches and the Aviva Premiership does not match the French Top 14. The result for Rugby World Cup 2015 is a match schedule allocating more games to Wales than to the north of England. Understanding how this came about and also how and why Wales secured matches is an important part of the puzzle and carries substantial implications for future Rugby World Cups. Local and global issues including decision making, rival sports and nationalized players are all tackled in an analysis that seeks to offer realistic and viable solutions for the benefit of English and global rugby.
