'So homespun it hurt'
Paul Lewis takes us back to the first World Cup, which fitted its amateur status perfectly; PLUS: Best of RWC23 links, and the BYC previews the Bangers
Everything in international rugby these days tends to revolve around the World Cup cycle, but it’s easy to forget that in 1987 even some of the countries competing didn’t really see its worth. Paul Lewis had a front-row seat for the new tournament, which was a million miles from the slick, sanitised operation it is today.
Funny thing – 36 years on, one of the strongest memories I have of the 1987 Rugby World Cup comes from the opening ceremony.
Strange, because as a travelling sportswriter, you develop a rather keen dislike of opening ceremonies – whether Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games or World Cups. I believe, for example, this year’s ceremony in France was a beauty but have to confess: I didn’t watch it.
Too many opening ceremonies leave their mark; I saw only one that made me gasp – at the 1984 Olympics in the Los Angeles Coliseum.
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