Rugby's greatest rivals

[Feicarsinn]

what, all 16 of them? proper rivalries have a history.

Says who? By that logic there weren't many rivalrys before the game went pro, simply because the teams didn't play eachother enough. Why is a game from 1950 more relevant to a rivalry than one from 1999 or 2007?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

So you your theory is based on the amount of hatred the world has to england?you really aren't the sharpest tool in the shed,are you?
Every one is saying this rivalry is the biggest or that rivalry is the biggest but what do the players say,John Smit has been quoted as saying that the Springbok/All black game is the worlds biggest rivalry as well as richie mccaw,The great Frick du Preez once said on boots n' all that there is no game like A Springbok/All black game even Murry Mexted has said on numerous occasions that the Springbok game is their biggest game,the bottom line is that the Springboks & the All blacks are the most successful sides in rugby history!

All of those players are SA or NZ players though.
I didn't even know there was an intense rivalry between the two sides, i knew there was rivalry, but nothing major.

 

[SelimNiai]

I like these "polls" in which the poll setter has his/her own idea and then proceeds to dismiss everyone elses ideas. I

 

[Bokbe4k]

All of those players are SA or NZ players though.
I didn't even know there was an intense rivalry between the two sides, i knew there was rivalry, but nothing major.

How old are you?Do you watch rugby!?

 

[SelimNiai]

I like these "polls" in which the poll setter has his/her own idea and then proceeds to dismiss everyone elses ideas. I

How old are you?Do you watch rugby!?

See what I mean?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

How old are you?Do you watch rugby!?

20.
Yes.


Any more questions?

 

[Bokbe4k]

I like these "polls" in which the poll setter has his/her own idea and then proceeds to dismiss everyone elses ideas. I

Its called an opinion poll and even if I dismiss 100 people its still my opinion but allot of what I said is also factual,based on the book "Rugby's Greatest Rivals",so place your vote, leave your opinion and move on.

 

[Bokbe4k]

20.
Yes.


Any more questions?

Well that explains allot!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Why??
Why is it so hard to believe that i didn't know there was "the fiercest rivarly in the history of the world ever and also the universe and several other dimensions" between NZ/SA?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Why?
Why is it so hard to believe that i didn't know there was "the fiercest rivarly in the history of the world ever and also the universe and several other dimensions" between NZ/SA?

Also, after your little "SA ARE THE BEST" speech earlier, i feel abliged to bring http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_end_of_year_rugby_tests to your attention

 

[Haysie]

Any test between the Wallabies and the All Blacks has incredible hype and sellout stadiums, with more often than not ***anic games.
It's one of the most incredible and intense rivalries in rugby, if not the world.

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

Its called an opinion poll and even if I dismiss 100 people its still my opinion but allot of what I said is also factual,based on the book "Rugby's Greatest Rivals",so place your vote, leave your opinion and move on.

LOL!

I think the biggest international rivalry in NZ v Australia, maybe not in recent years, but definitely over time.

And in smaller spaces, Auckland v Canterbury and Oxford v Cambridge.

 

[Bokbe4k]

Also, after your little "SA ARE THE BEST" speech earlier, i feel abliged to bring http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_end_of_year_rugby_tests to your attention

Relax youngster!your point is valid but so is my "SA ARE THE BEST" speech,at this very moment other than the sevens world cup we hold all major rugby tournament trophies that we competed in,including the sevens world series and we are the only team to ever do so and even if we never do it again we are the first and the only other team in the world that might match that are the All blacks.besides Lithuania breaking our record SA and NZ are joint holders of the 17 in a row record run of unbeaten games.See,even off the field the rivalry continues!

 

[Haysie]

Ah but do you hold the TRF Shield?

 

[Haysie]

Actually who does hold the TRF Shield?

 

[Haysie]

And why the hell is there no edit button????

 

[Bokbe4k]

And why the hell is there no edit button????

!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[User1245]

LOL!

I think the biggest international rivalry in NZ v Australia, maybe not in recent years, but definitely over time.

And in smaller spaces, Auckland v Canterbury and Oxford v Cambridge.

Over time Australia has a 28% win ratio over New Zealand, if anything the rivalry between Oz & NZ is actually pretty new, probably mostly due to the non-rugby migration treads between the countries.

But then again what defines the biggest and greatest rivalry? There seems to be a mixture tribalism, historical, socio-economic & rugby results in people's posts.

England being in the poll 3 times is a classic example of this. As they stepped on many toes through world history.

Long historical history with France for good and bad reasons, mostly bad. To a lesser extent same with Australia, Ireland, Scotland and South Africa.

Historical tribalism is evident in the Wales-England rivalry, which at least sparked it, in rugby terms they both have a 45% win ratio against each other (England just 0.38% ahead), the remaining 10% ending in draws.
That's the closest rivalry in world rugby.

BUT they both not world beaters in rugby terms so it deludes it slightly, much like if Russia-USA & India-Pakistan played first class rugby against each other.

If you cut out all the emotion and the other factors I mentioned before and go on pure rugby reasons, South Africa vs New Zealand is the biggest. Period. Today, like most of the 100 years of rugby history, it's been SA & NZ swapping between number 1 & 2 in rugby.

BUT then again rivalry is relative to people. Each to their own. Tell a Welshman he must be more excited for a SA-NZ than he must be for a WAL-ENG game, because technically that's the big game of the year. He'd knock you out with his shovel

EDIT: PS I got stats from RugbyData.com

 

[Bokbe4k]

Over time Australia has a 28% win ratio over New Zealand, if anything the rivalry between Oz & NZ is actually pretty new, probably mostly due to the non-rugby migration treads between the countries.

But then again what defines the biggest and greatest rivalry? There seems to be a mixture tribalism, historical, socio-economic & rugby results in people's posts.

England being in the poll 3 times is a classic example of this. As they stepped on many toes through world history.

Long historical history with France for good and bad reasons, mostly bad. To a lesser extent same with Australia, Ireland, Scotland and South Africa.

Historical tribalism is evident in the Wales-England rivalry, which at least sparked it, in rugby terms they both have a 45% win ratio against each other (England just 0.38% ahead), the remaining 10% ending in draws.
That's the closest rivalry in world rugby.

BUT they both not world beaters in rugby terms so it deludes it slightly, much like if Russia-USA & India-Pakistan played first class rugby against each other.

If you cut out all the emotion and the other factors I mentioned before and go on pure rugby reasons, South Africa vs New Zealand is the biggest. Period. Today, like most of the 100 years of rugby history, it's been SA & NZ swapping between number 1 & 2 in rugby.

BUT then again rivalry is relative to people. Each to their own. Tell a Welshman he must be more excited for a SA-NZ than he must be for a WAL-ENG game, because technically that's the big game of the year. He'd knock you out with his shovel

EDIT: PS I got stats from RugbyData.com

Good read Steve-O!

 

[Gavin]

Rugby's greatest rivals? Northern Hemisphere vs Southern Hemisphere.......... Simple