Rugby World Cup 2003 will feature 11 sets of brothers, including one set of twins, those playing for different countries and three sets of siblings who came face to face with each other in the Pool D encounter between Tonga and Italy.
The Pacific Islanders named two sets of brothers for the Canberra Stadium showdown on 15 October with captain Inoke Afeaki and lock Milton Ngauamo in the starting line up with Stanley Afeaki and Johnny Ngauamo appearing as replacements.
Italy’s contribution to this statistic was Denis and birthday boy Manuel Dallan, who made an impact with the Azzurri’s three tries in the 36-12 victory in the Australian capital.
The Azzurri have another set of brothers in their Rugby World Cup 2003 squad in Mauro and Mirco Bergamasco, while Argentina also have two pairs of siblings, one of them twins, on show in Australia.
Other countries to have brothers in their 30 man squads are Uruguay and Ireland, while three other sets play for different countries in Australia and Wales, France and Georgia and New Zealand and Samoa.
We take a closer look at the brothers playing at Rugby World Cup 2003:
Mauro and Mirco Bergamasco (Italy)
Flanker Mauro Bergamasco has established himself as not only one of Italy’s most valuable players, but also a truly world class player in the five years since his debut against the Netherlands in November 1998.
However Mauro, who has scored six tries in 33 Tests, is more than just a flanker with his athleticism having seen him deployed by coach John Kirwan on the wing in the 2003 Six Nations.
Mirco, at 20 the younger brother by nearly four years, has become a regular in the national team at full back this year, having made his debut as a replacement in the 2002 Six Nations against France.
Felipe and Manuel Contepomi (Argentina)
Felipe and Manuel Contepomi not only share the same birthday – they are twins – but also made their international debut for Los Pumas within days of each other in August 1998 against Chile and in a RWC qualifier against the USA respectively.
Both offer Argentinian coach Marcelo Loffreda versatility in the back line with Felipe, who is studying to be a doctor, able to play at fly half, centre and full back and Manuel at both full back and centre.
Manuel has remained in Argentina, playing for the Newman club, while Felipe formed an exciting half back partnership with Agustín Pichot at English club Bristol until joining Irish province Leinster for this season.
Dimitri and Gregoire Yachvili (France/Georgia)
Dimitri Yachvili may only turn 23 on 19 September, but the scrum half is already with the fourth club – Biarritz – of his young career. The under study to French captain Fabien Galthié, Dimitri has improved his kicking in recent years.
A lively player, Dimitri only made his Test debut against Canada last November with his first start coming in this year’s Six Nations against Ireland in Dublin. Dimitri arrives at RWC 2003 with seven caps to his name.
Flanker Gregoire, the older brother by three years, made his debut for Georgia – his father Michel played a part in the growth of the game in the country – back in February 2001 against the Netherlands but has only won eight caps since.
Juan de la Cruz Fernández Miranda and Nicolás Fernández Miranda (Argentina)
Juan de la Cruz Fernández Miranda and his older brother Nicolás Fernández Miranda are the half back pairing for leading Argentinian club Hindú, playing at fly half and scrum half respectively. They will be the half back pairing against Romania.
However these are not the only brothers playing for Hindú, where their father is Club President, because younger brother Francisco provides cover at scrum half for Nicolás, including when he played at Natal Sharks last year.
Nicolás, Los Pumas’ second choice scrum half behind captain Agustín Pichot, is the more experienced of the two with 32 caps after almost a decade of Test rugby. Juan, who is also happy playing at centre, has won 20 caps since his debut in 1997.
Inoke and Stanley Afeaki (Tonga)
An inspirational and much respected player in the Tongan squad, captain Inoke Afeaki is playing in his third Rugby World Cup, the lock having made his Test debut in the 1995 Tournament as a replacement against France.
Inoke, a promising rower in his teens before concentrating on rugby, now plays his rugby for Secom in Japan but has spent much of his career in New Zealand playing for Wellington in the NPC and the Hurricanes in the Super 12.
His younger brother Stanley is, by comparison, a newcomer to the international scene with the flanker having only made his Test debut for Tonga in May 2002 against Japan.
Diego and Sebastián Aguirre (Uruguay)
Uruguayan captain Diego Aguirre has more than a decade of Test rugby to his name, having made his debut back in 1992 against Mar del Plata – five years before his younger brother Sebastián made his debut against a Pumas XV.
The brothers play for leading Uruguayan club Carrasco Polo Club, winner of the last 13 Championships, and Rugby World Cup 2003 is their second Tournament, having played together against South Africa in 1999.
Diego plays in the centre with Sebastián, who said they “obviously” have a good understanding being brothers, at fly half.
Brent and Matt Cockbain (Wales/Australia)
Brent Cockbain, at 28 the younger by nearly two years, was a surprise selection in the Wales squad for Rugby World Cup 2003 with the lock having only made his debut in a warm up match against Romania on 27 August.
By contrast his flanker brother Matt has been part of the Australian team during their golden era over the five years, having made his debut against France in June 1997 and appeared in the Rugby World Cup final against the same team just two years later.
Denis and Manuel Dallan (Italy)
Manuel Dallan may be the older brother by nearly two years and have made his Test debut for Italy in October 1997 against Argentina – some 15 months before his brother did – but it is Denis who has won the most caps for the Azzurri.
Both brothers have missed Italy’s warm up games to the Tournament because of injury but centre Manuel and wing Denis showed they were back to full fitness with their try scoring Tournament debuts against Tonga.
Rodney and Steven So’oialo (New Zealand/Samoa)
Both So’oialo brothers were born in Samoa, but Rodney made his debut for the All Blacks last November against Wales. However this was not his first appearance in the traditional black jersey of New Zealand.
This is because the flanker, who has now won five caps, was a member of the New Zealand squad that won both the IRB Sevens World Cup in 2001 and the Commonwealth Games gold medal a year later.
Scrum half Steven, at 26 the older sibling by just over two years, by contrast has won 26 caps for Samoa since making his debut against fellow Pacific Island nation Tonga in September 1998.
Guy and Simon Easterby (Ireland)
The older brother by nearly four years, Guy Easterby is the second choice scrum half for Ireland behind Peter Stringer and has won 21 caps since scoring two tries on his international debut against the USA Eagles in June 2000.
Back row forward Simon, who spent a season in Australia with the Sydney University club, also scored two tries in that match, having made his debut four months earlier as Ireland beat Scotland 44-22 at Lansdowne Road.
Milton and Johnny Ngauamo (Tonga)
A former New Zealand U21 international – the lock cum flanker having been born in Auckland – Milton Ngauamo made his international debut in a Rugby World Cup qualifier against Papua New Guinea last November.
The older brother by seven years, centre Johnny won the Super 12 title twice with Auckland in 1996 and 1997 but now plays his rugby for Montferrand in France. The 34 year old has four caps to his name, three less than his sibling.