"Hardy seafarers, the Polynesians have endured life on volcanic islands for millennia which prepared them for the hard-hitting sport.
"Yet as climate impacts ramp up over tens of World Cups, will that fan further emigration and hobble their capacity to compete?"
Or will it see a mass migration of talent from rugby to water polo? Too early to tell.
England Expects
The psychic animal season is in full swing and it's good news for the host nation, with meerkats and penguins both backing Mother England, reports the Loughborough Echo. Joyce Roberts, Zoo Manager at Drayton Manor said a female meercat called Cleo was making most of the big calls. "She's taken a real shine to one of the rocks and it seems her predictions are firmly in England's favour!" The gentoo penguins at Birmingham's National Sea Life Centre are also getting in on the act, says handler Naomi Bird (no, we didn't make up that name). "We always get excited when something comes along for our psychic penguins to predict," says Naomi. "If the players believe in themselves half as much as the penguins believe in them, we've definitely got a shot!"
Grass half full
A rugby-mad landlord has marked the arrival of the World Cup by turning his boozer into a grass pitch, reports The Hinckley Times.
The Bull in Broughton Astley has spent $1200 laying turf over its bar floor to get drinkers into the mood. "People can come dressed in their full kits and they don't need to worry about spilling their drinks," co-owner Patrick Anderson said.
Terrible Teros
Uruguay has taken its opening-round shellacking by Wales remarkably well. Montevideo daily El Oservador appeared almost impressed with the utter trousering handed to a nation better known for producing bitey football players than hitting rucks. According to Google translate: "Los Teros fell 54-9 in a worthy match of Uruguay who fought until the last minute of play." Los Teros, bird-fancying rugby fans will know, is a type of crested wader that uses bony spurs under its wings to intimidate foes and fight birds of prey. Cool, but totally crap at rugby.
London's Burning
The city's firefighters are urging rugby fans to "kick their drunken cooking into touch", reports London Fire Brigade News. With many games kicking off at 8pm local time, fire chiefs are concerned about the knock-on effect of cooking late at night after an evening of drinking oneself silly trying to make England matches seem entertaining. According to LFBN, two fires a day happen after Londoners have been drinking; one in four people who die in a fire has alcohol in their system; and three-quarters of alcohol-related fires are caused by cooking under the influence. No stats yet on how many being caused by Springbok fans burning their jerseys.
