IRB set to change RWC seedings
Helping Hand: Boost for 2011 All Blacks
New Zealand look set to receive a significant boost as the International Rugby Board (IRB) prepare to announce changes to the current World Cup seeding system.
Under the existing format, the 2011 All Blacks would be drawn below the top tier of South Africa, England, Argentina and France following their quarter-final exit in Cardiff last year.
World Cup seedings have in the past been based on results at previous events, which led to 2003 winners England appointed top seeds for last year's event, although they were well down the global rankings when the tournament commenced.
And now it seems the IRB are poised to adopt their own ranking charts to better reflect World Cup potential.
The current IRB World Rankings are headed by South Africa with the All Blacks a close second. Then follow Argentina, Australia, England, France, Ireland and Wales in the top eight.
Of those sides, New Zealand and Australia were beaten quarter-finalists in France while Ireland and Wales failed to make the knockout stages.
Meanwhile, the 2007 Rugby World Cup has been confirmed as the sport's global record-breaker.
The six-week tournament in France last autumn smashed all previous attendance and broadcast figures set during Rugby World Cup's 20-year history.
More than two million people attended a Rugby World Cup for the first time, generating an average match attendance of 47,000 for 48 fixtures.
Worldwide television viewing figures also increased considerably on the previous tournament in Australia in 2003.
"Rugby World Cup 2007 was the biggest sporting event to be staged last year," declared IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset.
"Mirroring the massive demand for public ticket sales, the tournament's travel and hospitality programme exceeded 100,000 sales - which is more than the 1999 and 2003 tournaments combined.
"It is also significant to note that RWC 2007 matches were the top six-viewed programmes of any description in France during 2007.
"More than 20 million viewers in France tuned in to watch the France versus England semi-final at Stade de France, bettering the figure achieved for the soccer World Cup final involving France at the same stadium in 1998.
"Coverage of the England versus South Africa final attracted the highest viewing figures for a single programme in the UK in 2007, with nearly 17 million tuning in."