In RWC 1999, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Rugby Union, Gareth Rees, became the first player to have played in four RWC Tournaments, a considerable achievement. However in 2003 is no longer unique.
In 2003 six additional players join Rees as members of the exclusive “Club Four” in the RWC Hall of Fame.
They are all well-known players, legends of the game in their own country, having been at the top for more than a decade.
England’s Jason Leonard starts his fourth RWC as the world’s most capped prop forward, with 106 caps under his belt, the only man who can conceivably break Philippe Sella’s formidable record of 111 matches for France.
It is true that in addition to his 106 caps for England, Leonard played five matches for the British & Irish Lions, which give him 111 international appearances, but if England reach the semi-finals, and injury and form permitting, Leonard can finish the RWC 2003 with 112 England caps, an achievement which will be difficult to surpass.
The other man to have astonished the world with his progress in pursuit of the elusive fourth RWC Tournament is Canada’s captain, Al Charron, whose injury early this year appeared to have dealt a cruel blow to Canada’s RWC aspirations.
His recovery is nothing short of miraculous and speaks volumes about the man and his single-minded pursuit of the RWC dream.
He is the second Canadian to enter the RWC Hall of Fame after his predecessor, Gareth Rees, who captained Canada in RWC 1999.
France will be captained in RWC 2003 by one of the most enduring heroes of French rugby, scrum-half, Fabien Galthié, also at his fourth RWC Tournament.
Galthié who commenced his international career in May 1991, several months before the start of the second RWC, is about to become France’s most capped scrum-half, having led France to one of the most astonishing matches in RWC history, their amazing destruction of New Zealand in the semi-final of RWC 1999.
Samoa’s quiet and determined wing three-quarter, Brian Lima, as lethal as ever in his fourth RWC, is the sole survivor of the team that stunned the world in 1991, when the then newcomers from Western Samoa dumped Wales out of the RWC, while Italy’s Carlo Checchinato, in the twilight of his distinguished career, will call it a day after the RWC.
Pedro Sporleder had also come from nowhere to become a regular in the Pumas and after 13 seasons at the top will play in his fourth Rugby World Cup in Australia.
While Sporleder will realise a dream his fellow Argentine internationals Federico Méndez and inspirational skipper Lisandro Arbizu have had the same dream crueled by injury.
The Argentine trio arrived as teenagers to Rugby World Cup 1991 in Wales full of hope and uncertainty.
Méndez had achieved notoriety in unsavoury circumstances the year before, when, as an 18-year old schoolboy, he punched Paul Ackford – now a respected and widely read pundit,while fly-half Arbizu was the pin-up boy with lots of talent.
Méndez damaged an Achilles tendon two months before the 1999 RWC and Arbizu will watch the 2003 tournament from the stands after undergoing surgey to repair cruciate ligament damage to his right knee after suffering the injury in the final warm up game against a Tucaman selection on 12 September.
Former skipper Sporleder said the modern interest in planning had extended his playing career.
“We started young and avoided serious injury, which certainly helped," Sporleder said.
"Also, the huge importance placed on organisation and planning nowadays has helped extend our careers. The difference between the first two World Cups and the following two – including this year’s – is phenomenal.
Many players will certainly retire after Australia and we are hoping to do so on a high note.”