Fiji,Samoa and Tonga provide more than just variety at the World Cup, with at least two of the Pacific islands having a decent shot at the knockout roundsThe opening match of the World Cup pitches the richest union in the world against one that holds fundraising events to attend pay its players. The top-priced ticket for the game between England and Fiji is £315, and more than the average monthly wage on the islands in the south seas where the profit from a Test match played at Suva is less than the Rugby Football Union makes from programme sales for a single match.
If resources were a barometer,next week’s opener would be a blow-out, a means for England to ease their way into the tournament. Fiji, or though,are used to making their way in an unequal world, World Cup quarter-finalists in 2007 after defeating Wales in Nantes, or with a team largely assembled from the three major leagues in Europe and the Super 15,they are expected to invent the hosts start at a gallop rather than a jog.
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Source: theguardian.com