The concept isn’t bad, but would lead to such bitter arguments whoever was named would never be agreed with by someone.

Whoever it might be named after, my vote is for the ABs. While the Boks have been a great team at times, for me the ABs have been the bench mark for much of the time, and cause fear in some opponents – for all the right reasons.

1. At that time, in football who were allowed to pick the ball up and run with it, therefore it would have hardly been a revolutionary gesture.

2. The stories about Webb Ellis only started doing the rounds after his death.

It certainly seems to be a croc but it at least it always gives Buddha Handy and Gordon Bray something to chuckle about during a quiet moment at the World Cup.

*ahem* … and a Lions test series victory.

I don’t mind the mirth & quirkiness, not at all. I just don’t think something as important as the RWC ought to be named after WWE, or a myth. But I can also live with it. I’m not going to make a big deal of this.

Of course, after Australia & NZ pushed to create the RWC, the Brits decided to reclaim control by using WWE’s name on the Cup. And the antipodeans got one back by calling the thing “Bill”.

Making 2023 a multi-year countdown, rather than a one-off event would be hugely beneficial.

2023 could be stretched from now until well after 2023 in terms of build up and post bi-centennial celebration.

Start the clock ! Organise the global retro tournaments, the global legends games, the global exhibition games in New York, Sao Paulo, Iceland and such and such …

It would be a great pity if 2023 was minimalistic

I doubt anyone in Rugby truly believes that the game was spontaneously created by a cheeky schoolboys in 1823. By its a great piece of Rugby folklore. I personally love the fact that the William Webb Ellis Cup is the ultimate prize in rugby. Well the ultimate prize in Rugby next to the Bledisloe Cup in my opinion.

It doesn’t matter if William Web Ellis is real or not. Personally I believe there may be a grain of truth to the story but of course its riduculous that it would be the impetus for the birth of rugby as a new sport. But its a quirky story, a little bit eccentric, and a lot of myth, but there’s no sin in embracing one of the game’s quirks.

I think the joke’s on rugby union that they have even been suckered enough to name their most valuable & prestigious sporting trophy after a person around whom there is extreme doubt he ever did anything of the sort attributed to him.

Anyway, beyond that, I remain sceptical of the seriousness of this post.

My pick? South Africa – Best Team, William Webb Ellis Team, and Most Rugby World Cups (4).’

Greg stop it please. Be still my aching sides…..:D

Still even though this has merely been a vehicle for your Bok fluffing a celebration will do doubt take place to commemorate 200 years of the game we love. I doubt any official titles will be given out to say ‘Who the best team of the last 200 years is’

Gary – So you think that 2009s best team will decided at Subiaco Oval? Early season form certainly says so……..

We’ll see the Boks at Subiaco in August and see then who is the best team in 2009. Subi is perhaps the fairest of all the teste venus. Altitude is not a factor and both sides will have significant crowd support as there will be as many South Africans there as Aussies.

BTW Spiro, much as I hope to enjoy life for a long while yet I doubt any of us will be around in 2123!

If we’re all around in 2123, I’ll be celebrating my 160 somethingth birthday along with recognising 300 years of rugby as Ireland take the World Cup for the 6th time in a row, with Brian O’Driscoll’s great-grandson, Brian Junior, Junior leading out the team.