Steve Deane scours global media for an offbeat look at rugby's biggest show.
RATINGS WINNER
If a tree (let's say a mighty English oak) falls in the forest and there are only 10 million people around to hear it, has it really fallen? Er, yes. England may have flopped on the pitch at RWC 2015 but they were a raging success in thetele ratings. ITV's coverage of the 33-13 loss to the Wallabies attracted an average audience of 10 million blubberers, The Telegraph reported. The match smashed Doctor Who (3.7 million viewers) out of the water, but did little damage to Strictly Come Dancing, which still pulled 7.9 million viewers.
HAPPY MONDAY
Predictions that England's exit would prove a financial catastrophe equivalent to the Great Depression appear to have been about as accurate as the doomsday effect of the Y2K bug.
Some forecasters suggested the result could cost associated business as much as $NZ7 billion. However, stocks were remarkably buoyant when British markets opened yesterday, reported The Independent. The FTSE 100 rose more than 2 per cent in the first session since England's humiliating exit. "The surge was triggered by hopes that downbeat US jobs data would push an interest rate rise further into the future, trumping English investors' rugby blues." Even World Cup broadcaster ITV - predicted to be the biggest corporate loser due to possible declines in viewership and advertising revenues - notched an increase, with shares up 1.7 per cent.
MORE WOE IS ENGLAND
From the 'never rains, it pours' file, The Guardian is reporting that England are under investigation for making an unwanted approach to a match day official during the half-time break of their loss to Australia. Under tournament rules (rather pretentiously known as 'the protocol') coaches are not allowed to approach referees during matches or at half-time. Like pretty much everything done by anyone, anywhere in Britain these days, the exchange was captured on CCTV.
HARRY-KIRI
Poor old Prince Harry appears to have taken England's exit badly, with The Mirror reporting that the "bearded royal looked crestfallen as he headed to a London bar, hours after he was seen excitedly cheering the team on at Twickenham".
Prince Harry pus his head in his hands as he attends the England v Australia match. Photo / Getty Images
"Dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, Harry appeared glum as he tried to enjoy a night out with his cousin Princess Eugenie and friend Guy Pelly." Only hours earlier Hazza had been in top form "wearing his England jersey, [singing] the national anthem with enthusiasm before animatedly following the game, raising his hands and shouting."
Almost like a real fan.
Also at the match was Harry's brother's mother-in-law, Carole Middleton, who was spied by the Daily Mail "necking a mini bottle of white wine as she cheered on the home team".
Carole Middleton enjoys a drink during the match. Photo / Getty Images
"Carole was seen getting extremely fired-up during the game, holding her hands to her head and screaming at the players."
Sounds an awful lot like The World's Cup's mother-in-law when the ABs play.
STEAMING USA
Some interesting feedback on a New Zealand Herald (quality publication, that) article on illegal streaming of matches. Several correspondents have pointed out that in the United States, RWC cable TV packages are priced US$28- 38 per match. An official internet stream can be accessed for around US$200 for the tournament.
"If we were charged a reasonable amount for these games, I would gladly pay," wrote one correspondent. "But these prices amount to extortion. So VPNing I go."
