Rugby’s elite country competition kicks off this September here in England, attracting some of the best teams worldwide for 6 weeks. We decided to quiz the people of Britain on their Rugby World Cup knowledge levels to see which region knows the game inside out. Our quizmasters asked 1,000 people around the United Kingdom of all ages and gender and we found some really interesting results…
Our most interesting findings:
– A third quizzed didn’t know that the Rugby World Cup was kicking off in September 2015
– Participants in the 18-24 age group were the least knowledgeable age group with the lowest percentage of correct answers
– Wales were undoubtedly the superior nation when it came to rugby knowledge scoring the highest percentage of correct answers on our knowledge questions
– 42.7% of the UK had no idea that the Rugby World Cup was actually being hosted in England
– 44% of the UK didn’t know how long a game of rugby is supposed to last
– More than half didn’t know the correct number of points award for a try
– A third of UK thought that the winner of the Rugby World Cup would receive the “Rugby Bowl” trophy rather than the Webb Ellis Cup
– Nearly half the UK had no idea that Chris Robshaw was England current captain. 21.5% thought the captain instead was Jonny Wilkinson and when asked to guess one of the options, 13.20% thought that the BBC’s ‘Saturday Kitchen’ host and TV chef James Martin was this year’s captain…
– A third of Londoners thought that Billy Twelvetrees was a fake name and wasn’t a current England Rugby Union player
Billy Twelvetrees missed out on a place in the England World Cup squad
Our full survey data can be found below:
| 1. Given that one of the following answers is correct, how many points are awarded for a try in a game of rugby union? If you’re not sure, please guess. | |
| Choice | % |
| 1 | 4.60% |
| 5 | 47.90% |
| 7 | 7.10% |
| 3 | 40.40% |
| 2. Given that one of the following answers is correct, how long does a game of Rugby Union last? (In minutes). If you’re not sure, please guess. | |
| Choice | % |
| 60 | 9.40% |
| 70 | 8.30% |
| 80 | 55.90% |
| 90 | 26.40% |
| 3. Given that one of the following answers is correct, when is the next Rugby (Union) World Cup? If you’re not sure, please guess. | |
| Choice | % |
| Sept 2015 | 70.10% |
| Dec 2015 | 7.70% |
| Jan 2016 | 8.90% |
| July 2016 | 13.30% |
| 4. Given that one of the following answers is correct, which nation is hosting the next Rugby (Union) World Cup? If you’re not sure, please guess. | |
| Choice | % |
| South Africa | 14.40% |
| New Zealand | 19.20% |
| Brazil | 9.10% |
| England | 57.30% |
| 5. Given that one of the following answers is correct, what is the name of the Rugby World Cup Trophy? If you’re not sure, please guess. | |
| Choice | % |
| Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle Cup | 10.10% |
| The Rugby Bowl Trophy | 32.20% |
| William Webb Ellis Cup | 50.10% |
| Jules Rimet Trophy | 7.60% |
| 6. Given that one of the following answers is correct, rugby Union teams are allowed to field how many players? If you’re not sure, please guess. | |
| Choice | % |
| 11 | 19.30% |
| 12 | 22.20% |
| 15 | 55.70% |
| 16 | 2.80% |
| 7. Given that one of the following answers is correct, in what year did England last win the Rugby (Union) World Cup? If you’re not sure, please guess. | |
| Choice | % |
| 1902 | 5.60% |
| 1966 | 9.50% |
| 2003 | 62.40% |
| 2010 | 22.50% |
| 8. Given that one of the following answers is correct, who scored the final winning points to win England’s first Rugby (Union) World Cup? If you’re not sure, please guess. | |
| Choice | % |
| Dan Carter | 6.50% |
| Bobby Moore | 8.60% |
| Jonny Wilkinson | 79.80% |
| Matt Baker | 5.10% |
| 9. Given that one of the following answers is correct, what is England’s national rugby union stadium? If you’re not sure, please guess. | |
| Choice | % |
| Edgbaston | 5.10% |
| Wembley | 10.40% |
| Twickenham | 80.40% |
| ANZ Stadium | 4.10% |
| 10. Given that one of the following answers is correct, who is the current England Rugby (Union) team captain? If you’re not sure, please guess. | |
| Choice | % |
| Jonny Wilkinson | 21.50% |
| Chris Robshaw | 53.00% |
| Fraser Forster | 12.30% |
| James Martin | 13.20% |
| 11. Given that one of the following answers is correct, which of these names are not a real and current England Rugby Union player? If you’re not sure, please guess. | |
| Choice | % |
| Tim Loughton | 25.20% |
| Billy Twelvetrees | 26.40% |
| Richard Wigglesworth | 23.30% |
| Courtney Lawes | 25.10% |
| 12. Given that one of the following answers is correct, what’s the difference between Rugby Union and Rugby League? If you’re not sure, please guess. | |
| Choice | % |
| They are two separate formats with differences relating to number of players, tackles and points. | 80.60% |
| Rugby League is for players over the age of 30. | 6.00% |
| Rugby Union can only be played in England and Scotland, named after the Union. | 12.00% |
| Rugby Union can only be played by married players for traditional safety concerns. | 1.40% |
| 13. Rugby is often referred to as ‘egg chasing’. Why is this? (One of the following answers is correct) If you’re not sure, please guess. | |
| Choice | % |
| The game was inspired by farmers trying to catch chickens running in a yard. | 4.60% |
| The shape of the ball is egg-like, providing a natural comparison. | 79.80% |
| Traditionally the winners of the game were rewarded with a cooked breakfast – hence they were chasing the egg. | 7.10% |
| The World Cup trophy is called the ‘Golden Egg’. | 8.50% |
