Is it right to expand the Rugby World Cup to 24 teams?

A 24-TEAM World Cup is a great idea so long as you love your turkey shoots, your humiliations of smaller nations who are under-resourced, underplayed and underappreciated by the global game from one World Cup cycle to the next.

"As a player you need to see light at the end of the tunnel"

FOR TEST players it's pretty much every four years that you get a proper pre-season. You've finished the season early, you get four weeks off and then you go into a World Cup camp from mid-June. Whereas normally, if a Test player is on a summer tour, you have a short summer break and then you're into it.

DOWNTIME WITH... MARK ATKINSON: "I can't have four squares of chocolate, I'm having four bars!"

The Gloucester centre on his sweet tooth, a Savage prank and embarrassing stitches

HOW TO MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN

After missing out on this year's World Cup, we find out what USA Rugby need to do eight years out from hosting the tournament

BEKA GORGADZE

The Georgian has battled back from injury to make his second World Cup

"Romania is a fine rugby nation but it has been allowed to rot away"

A once-mighty rugby nation has fallen on hard times. Stephen Jones says we must remember Romania's proud history and hope for a revival one day

SAM CANE

He's captain of the All Blacks on a Rugby World Cup odyssey. Do jobs come with greater pressure?

MORE TO COME FROM FIJI

Fiji and their exceptional Drua Super Rugby side have made incredible strides

Andrés Vilaseca

Labelled 'Lazy' as a boy, the Uruguay captain is now a national linchpin

RUGBY RANT

Japan-based writer Rich Freeman laments the Brave Blossoms' false dawn

WHAT IT'S LIKE TO...HELP PREPARE THE SAMOA SQUAD

Former Test referee Johnny Lacey is working with Samoa at the World Cup

WHAT GOES ON TOUR...

THE MAIN pranksters in Italy's squad are me and Luca Bigi, writes Seb Negri. There is always a war between us. For a long time now it has been hiding boots and things like that.

Does Tackle School work?

\"NOBODY REALLY liked school, not even the geeks. Rugby's top players and coaches would have been the cool kids in their younger years anyway, so expecting them to sit up straight in class might be a big ask.

"France still has the proper traditions of rugby"

RUGBY IN France is different. It’s hostile, supporters love it, and if you’re the opposition – be it a club, age-grade or an International – they love to hate the opposition.

Agustín Creevy

The first centurion for Argentina, the hooker still has a few more shots in his locker as he heads to his fourth World Cup

Beka Gigashvili

We know good things come to those who wait, but for this Georgian prop the hard work climbing the rugby ladder strengthened him

Conor Murray

Now a World Cup veteran, the proud Munsterman is adapting his game for the greater good

Will Jordan

So lethal is this All Blacks wing, it's easy to forget he missed ten months with a migraine-related condition. It's like he never left...

THE SECRET PLAYER

Our former pro provides a unique insight into the game

Cannones firing

Mountain trekking, fishing and Calcio Storico - we cover it all with Italy's flying

DUANE VERMEULEN

The veteran Springbok is aiming for a place in the history books

"If not now, when for the northern hemisphere?"

Nine World Cups and only one success for the North. But, argues Stephen Jones, there will never be a better opportunity to end that grisly stat

BEN WHITE

After a traumatic year, the Scotland No 9 is targeting success in France

THE TEAMS

Analysis of all 20 countries competing at this year's World Cup

Monster SincK

After a nightmare start to the 2019 World Cup final, a more relaxed and balanced Kyle Sinckler is on the road to redemption in Paris

"Everyone in France will want to be in the stadium for the opener!"

BACK IN 2007, it was amazing to have a first Rugby World Cup in France. You had family and friends around but you also felt the atmosphere. Go into a restaurant or meet someone at the boulangerie, you could see the excitement.

BUILDING THE TEAM

We look at some ways that World Cup teams have strengthened bonds off the field

Samuel Marques

At the beating heart of everything for Portugal is this scrum-half- and beware his boot

RUGBY RANT

Let's embrace the joy of rugby, pleads Jenny Mitton of MC Saatchi Sport and Entertainment

WHAT IT'S LIKE TO...PLAY IN WORLD CUPS FOR TWO NATIONS

We give you the lowdown on stars who have switched country to play