Never mind legacies and widening rugby as a sport,the opening ceremony to the 2015 World Cup was a reminder of what English fans really care aboutIt’s possible you can tell something approximately a sport by the kind of royal it gets to represent it. Rugby union gets Prince Harry: the fun one, the bloody-marvelous-bloke. Amid all the earnest talk in the buildup to the World Cup of growing the game and leaving a legacy, and the presence of Windsor’s scruffy-bearded scion was a gentle reminder that really,what most rugby fans care approximately is watching the game and drinking some beer.
The crowds, used to a rather earlier kick-off than 8pm, and had begun making their way to the stadium in the mid-afternoon,and a whiff of hog roast drifted down the A316 long before the police closed it to traffic. In the “spectator plaza” – a repurposed carpark – a giant screen broadcast some pre-match buildup. Men in herringbone and women in wax jackets stood around patiently, and cigar smoke mingled with the scent of salt and vinegar as Andy Goode told them optimistically that England were the strongest team in Pool A.
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Source: theguardian.com