Caribbean makes Rugby World Cup History

The International Rugby Board(IRB) Rugby World
Cup(RWC) was first held in 1987, The tournament has
developed at an unprecedented rate since the inaugural
event and is now the third largest sporting event in
the world behind the Olympic games and the Fifa world
cup.

For the first time in its history Rugby World Cup
Qualification began in the Caribbean.

This is six months to the day after a global audience
of billions watched the Rugby World Cup 2007 final in
France when South Africa became World Champion.

Participating nations in the six-day Caribbean
qualifying Tournament are Barbados, Bahamas, Bermuda,
Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, Trinidad & Tobago and the
Cayman Islands.

The Caribbean Championship started on 20 April and
will end on the 26 April.The victor will progress to
meet the winner of the South America Division B
Championship involving Colombia or Venezuela,
Paraguay, Brazil and Peru.

The IRB acknowledged the historic occasion by taking
the Webb Ellis Cup to the Cayman Islands. Caribbean
Rugby players had the opportunity to see and touch the
coveted prize.

Tony Spreadbury, who refereed the opening match of RWC
2007 in France, has temporarily come out of
international retirement and took charge of the first
RWC 2011 qualification match between Cayman Islands
and Trinidad & Tobago.

Eight teams will be determined through the global
regional qualifying system, which will be completed in
2010 one year before the Tournament.

These teams will join South Africa, England,
Argentina, France, Australia, New Zealand, Scotland,
Fiji, Wales, Ireland, Tonga and Italy who have
automatically qualified for RWC 2011.

The Caribbean Championship is the first step on the
road towards the 2011 RWC and marks the start of a
new-look qualifier process that has been streamlined
to incorporate established Tournaments across the
IRB's six regions (North America & West Indies, South
America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania).