The Rugby World Cup is a men's rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams, the winners of which are recognised as the World champions of the sport.
The Japan national rugby union team, also known as the Cherry Blossoms, Brave Blossoms, or simply Sakura, is traditionally the strongest rugby union power in Asia and has enjoyed and endured mixed results against non-Asian teams over the years. Rugby union in Japan is administered by the Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU), which was founded in 1926. They compete annually in the Pacific Nations Cup and previously in the Asia Rugby Championship. They have also participated in every Rugby World Cup since the tournament began in 1987.
World Fighting Bull were a Japanese rugby union team that played in the county's Top League competition. The team was the rugby team of clothing company World Co., based in Kobe in the Kansai area of Japan.
Shaun Edwards, OBE is an English rugby union coach and former rugby league player, who is the defence coach for the France national team. A scrum-half or stand-off, Edwards is the most decorated player in rugby league history, with 37 winner's medals. In 2015 he was the 25th person inducted into the Rugby League Hall of Fame.
Brent Douglas Webb is a former New Zealand international rugby league footballer who played as a fullback. He previously played for the New Zealand Warriors in the NRL, before moving the Leeds Rhinos and the Catalans Dragons in the Super League.
The IRB2015 Rugby World Cup was the eighth Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial rugby union world championship. The tournament was hosted by England from 18 September to 31 October. Of the 20 countries competing in the World Cup in 2011, there was only one change: Uruguay replaced Russia. This was the first World Cup with no new teams to the tournament.
The Webb Ellis Cup is the trophy awarded to the winner of the men's Rugby World Cup, the premier competition in men's international rugby union. The Cup is named after William Webb Ellis, who is often credited as being the inventor of rugby football. The trophy is silver gilt and has been presented to the winner of the Rugby World Cup since the first competition in 1987. It has been won four times by South Africa, three times by New Zealand, twice by Australia, and once by England (2003).
Shaun Perry is a former English rugby union footballer, who last played for Worcester Warriors in the Aviva Premiership. His usual position was at scrum half.
Kōsei Ono is a Japanese rugby union player who plays at fly half for the Japan national rugby team.
James Whitinui Joseph is a New Zealand-born Japanese former rugby union player and current rugby union coach. A flanker, Joseph represented Otago at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, from 1992 to 1995, before representing Japan in 1999. Joseph, now head coach of the Japanese national side, has coached since his retirement, coming through the ranks in New Zealand before his first national stint.
Rhys Webb is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for Ospreys. Born in Bridgend, he is a product of the Ospreys academy and played club rugby for Bridgend RFC and Aberavon RFC before breaking into the regional side in 2008. He played for the Ospreys for 10 years before moving to French club Toulon in 2018, but terminated his contract with them in 2020 and agreed a return to the Ospreys; however, he was unable to join the Ospreys immediately and signed for Bath for the remainder of the 2019–20 season before returning to the Ospreys.
The 2008 New Zealand rugby league season was the 101st season of rugby league that had been played in New Zealand. The main feature of the year was the inaugural season of the Bartercard Premiership competition that was run by the New Zealand Rugby League. Auckland won the title by defeating the Canterbury Bulls 38–18 in the Grand Final.
Shaun David Wane is an English professional rugby league coach and former professional rugby league footballer, who is currently the head coach of the England national rugby league team. He is also Leadership and Management Director of Wigan Warriors, for whom he served as head coach from 2011 to 2018 winning three Super League Grand Finals and one Challenge Cup.
Shaun Irwin is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, and at club level for Castleford, Oldham Bears and Featherstone Rovers (captain), as a centre or second-row.
Shaun Johnson is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a halfback for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Angus Wilkie Faiumiolemau Taʻavao is a New Zealand-born rugby union player, currently playing as a Prop for the Blues in Super Rugby and Auckland in the Mitre 10 Cup. Taʻavao was called into New Zealand's international team, the All Blacks, as injury cover in 2018 and has played 14 tests since his international debut. Taʻavao was a member of New Zealand's squad in the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
François de Klerk known by his nickname Faf, is a South African professional rugby union player who plays scrum-half for Japan Rugby League One club Yokohama Canon Eagles and the South Africa national team. He was a member of the South Africa teams that won the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and 2023.
The 1997 St Helens RLFC season was the 102nd season in the club's rugby league history and the second season in the Super League. Coached by Shaun McRae, the Saints competed in Super League II and finished in 3rd place, but went on to win the 1997 Challenge Cup, beating Bradford Bulls in the final for the second consecutive year.
Shaun Stevenson is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as an outside back for North Harbour in New Zealand's domestic Mitre 10 Cup and the Chiefs in the international Super Rugby competition.
