'Rugby pansies' on show

Thousands of "rugby pansies" are about to turn Sydney into a blaze of colour for the cup.

Inner-city streets are being decorated with 900 flower boxes containing 22,000 pansies in the colours of competing nations.

The Olympic-style transformation should leave Sydneysiders in little doubt they are again hosting one of the biggest sporting festivals on Earth.

A feature will be a Stairway to Rugby Heaven art installation in Martin Place.

On November 23, the day after the final, the tournament will end with a giant image of the captain of the victorious team projected on to the side of the AMP building at Circular Quay.

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