Who remembers Marzio Innocenti? What about Richard Tsimba?
Probably not many of you, but in my opinion they were the earliest examples of why the Rugby World Cup in its entirety is a beautiful thing.
Clearly not everyone agrees with me on that point.
I understand that some people don't
like rugby. However I don't understand how people who claim they love the game can say they're lukewarm about much of the 2011 Rugby World Cup pool phase which begins tonight.
They're the same people who bang on that only four teams have won the Webb Ellis, before adding that France with its two final appearances are also worthy of mention.
They never want to debate the fact that soccer, truly global sport that it is, has only ever had eight World Cup winners in 19 tournaments since 1930.
Just the seventh edition of Rugby World Cup starts with the All Blacks against Tonga at Eden Park in Auckland tonight. Plenty of time for more names on the trophy I would have thought.
But back to Innocenti and Tsimba, and the first attempts to grow the game globally.
In the opening match of the inaugural 1987 World Cup the All Blacks demolished Italy 70-6 (82-6 in today's currency) at Eden Park.
It was a rude awakening for the Italians, and their captain, Innocenti, peered at his post-match interviewer through tear-soaked eyes.
Within nine days the brave flanker was celebrating his country's first-ever World Cup victory, against Fiji. One could only celebrate with him, allowed as he was to go home with his head held high.
Remember it was more than a decade later that the Five Nations became six with the inclusion of Italy.
Tsimba was something else again. The first black man to play for Zimbabwe, the centre set the second day of the tournament alight with a 50-metre burst for his second try against Romania. As he crossed the line he produced an exaggerated dive, well ahead of its time. Unfortunately he damaged his shoulder in doing so. It was a colorful moment, exuberant, unusual, attention grabbing.
Sadly at just 34 year's old "The Black Diamond" was killed in a car accident in 2000.
Coming into 1987 New Zealand had never played an official test match against Italy or Zimbabwe, or for that matter the United States, Japan, Canada, Tonga or Fiji who were also at that tournament.
Yet Canada sowed the seeds for their magnificent 1991 campaign which took them all the way to a quarter-final against New Zealand in Lille - a superb win over Tonga at Napier announcing them on the world stage.
The United States got a win over Japan.
Fiji played in one of the greatest-ever World Cup games, a quarter-final loss to France which it could easily have won if one of Severo Koroduadua's mitts had been more secure.
That was 1987, the one and only year New Zealand has won the World Cup; 1987 without mention of the big guns.
Moving on, where would Samoa be without the World Cup, and how would the rugby landscape look without them? They, along with Canada, upset the established order in 1991, and the fairytale has continued, without much assistance from the International Rugby Board, through to the magnificent victory over the Wallabies earlier this year.
Yes, there was a period of adjustment after rugby went professional following the 1995 World Cup, some countries struggling to get on the pace.
But as a greater diversity of players have found their way into professional contracts the field has strengthened.
At the last World Cup Argentina reached the semi-finals, Fiji the quarter-finals, in pool play Tonga were just one try adrift of eventual champions South Africa, and Georgia gave Ireland an horrendous time in losing 14-10.
Sure many of the 20 teams who start this tournament know they have little or no chance of being crowned world champions but they will, in their own way, add value.
I defy any true fan to not be excited by Pool D where South Africa, Wales, Samoa and Fiji square off. And in each of the four pools there are at least three teams who will fancy their chances of a quarter-final berth.
I'll be looking out for the Innocentis and the Tsimbas of today amongst the also-rans, respecting their right to take on the big boys and cheering on their successes however small.
It's the world in union until October 22 - and every four years that's how I like it.
Oh, and of course I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for an All Black victory just like 24 years ago.
Grant Harding is the deputy editor of Hawke's Bay Today. He is a former editor of New Zealand Rugby News and New Zealand Rugby World magazines, and produced Sky Sport's Re:Union between 2000 and 2006.