RWC 2023 Predictions

[Superalexmarket]

I hear cricket is pretty popular in Australia. And the quite like it in South Africa as well apparently. New Zealand, England and Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and a few others don’t mind it either. You’re right, though, India’s large population does bump it Basketball is the

Basketball is the secund sport most popular of the World after Football of course

 

[Welsh Exile]

Basketball is the secund sport most popular of the World after Football of course

Not by the amount of fans.

 

[Superalexmarket]

Not by the amount of fans.

Specially by the amount of fans...and you can find a Basketball court in every corner of the world...a cricket pitch? In a couple of counties only

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

I think basketball is probably second most popular in terms of global reach. Pretty much every except for the anglosphere (plus United States and Canada obviously) it is played).

 

[Welsh Exile]

Specially by the amount of fans...and you can find a Basketball court in every corner of the world...a cricket pitch? In a couple of counties only

The Most Popular Sports In The World

The most popular sports in the world include basketball, cricket, hockey, and tennis, which all have millions of devoted fans.

www.google.com

The 10 Most Popular Sports in the World: Fan Numbers and Participation Analysis — The Sporting Blog

The 10 Most Popular Sports in the World: What is the most popular sport in 2025? We detail the world's most popular sports to play and watch. This list includes fact-based evidence about the popularity of various sports across the globe, such as attendance figures, viewing figures and participation

www.google.com

 

[Welsh Exile]

I think basketball is probably second most popular in terms of global reach. Pretty much every except for the anglosphere (plus United States and Canada obviously) it is played).

Yeah global reach would be a better term than popular but I guess it’s just down to how you define it in this context. For me it will be by the amount of fans.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Nz Herald's Beauden Parrot going for an Ireland win
View attachment 18073

That is a dead bird after this RWC. . Certainly no Paul the Octopus.

I said it before the tournament, but not sure if I believed it but I fancy Wales to win the thing. It's the perfect Cinderella story, Gatland returns, after a horror show for him and Wales without each other. form goes out the windows at semis sometimes, and finals are a free for all.

An all NH semi final line up for me and a full reversal of 2015.

I am glad I am not a betting man.

 

[Zac_ETNZ]

That is a dead bird after this RWC. . Certainly no Paul the Octopus.



I am glad I am not a betting man.

Just heard on the radio that Israel Adesanya (MMA fighter) saw the ABs paying $2.20 to beat Ireland so plonked down $20k at the TAB for a collect of $44k. Those are the longest odds I've seen in the last 4-5 years on the ABs, at least in NZ.

Four of us pooled $250 each and managed to get the bet on the ABs to win RWC at $4.50 before the QFs - now they and SA are equal at $2.00.

 

[Yulia]

The Most Popular Sports In The World

The most popular sports in the world include basketball, cricket, hockey, and tennis, which all have millions of devoted fans.

www.google.com

The 10 Most Popular Sports in the World: Fan Numbers and Participation Analysis — The Sporting Blog

The 10 Most Popular Sports in the World: What is the most popular sport in 2025? We detail the world's most popular sports to play and watch. This list includes fact-based evidence about the popularity of various sports across the globe, such as attendance figures, viewing figures and participation

www.google.com

Tbh, I'm shocked that Hockey (a normal one,ice) is only on the 3rd place in both lists... I'd place it on the 2nd (and then tennis, volleyball etc).

That is a dead bird after this RWC. . Certainly no Paul the Octopus.

Haha)) I remember a joke that, after a wrong prediction, Paul the Octopus became Paul the Septopus.
That's a cute tradition to chose those animals making predictions, though

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

 

[Brigantine]

Nz Herald's Beauden Parrot going for an Ireland win

That is a dead bird after this RWC.

good call

 

[Half Pint]

Surely *no-one* (Parrot or otherwise) predicted England to be the last surviving NH team, or the only unbeaten team (so far)!

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

Given the group draw Are the current semis that surprising?

Out of the all the group games that ended up affecting the teams in the 1/4 finals, which ones were really outliers? Fiji- aus and even then that game was 45-55 to begin with.

 

[ncurd]

Tbh, I'm shocked that Hockey (a normal one,ice) is only on the 3rd place in both lists... I'd place it on the 2nd (and then tennis, volleyball etc).

Not a huge surprise India is one of the main Hockey nations but it pales to the popularity of Cricket there.

Anything that China or India are into will always beat anything for global reach.

Football merely wins because it is most accessable sport in the world by a huge margin. You need....a football.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

View attachment 18173

Tbf Australia is super ******* dead

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

Tbf Australia is super ******* dead

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Living vicariously through Australian rugby is a new low for the SH

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

Living vicariously through Australian rugby is a new low for the SH

Wow!

 

[argie]

Surely the Final will be Nz vs SA.

But, if the planets align, my wish is a Final between Argentina (reloaded) vs England.
What a good revenge will be for that bad start!

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Surely the Final will be Nz vs SA.

But, if the planets align, my wish is a Final between Argentina (reloaded) vs England.
What a good revenge will be for that bad start!

Would you want an early English red card in the rematch though?