New Zealand in 'hardest' RWC Pool

With the United States securing the 20th, and final spot, at the 2003 Rugby World Cup finals in Australia at the weekend with a comfortable win over Spain, it means that once again all the top 20 teams in the Zurich World Rankings will compete in Rugby's showpiece event.

USA's comfortable two-legged win over Spain sealed their spot in the tournament and has pushed them above RWC debutants Georgia who are the only team travelling to Australia who did not take part in the 1999 RWC.

In terms of the Zurich World Rankings as they stand at the moment, the 'hardest' RWC Pool is Pool D that features New Zealand, Wales, Italy, Canada and Tonga with a 9.6 ranking position average.

The 'easiest' is Pool B with France, Scotland, Fiji, Japan and USA with an average of 11.4 whilst Pools A and C both have an average of 10.4.
 
Zurich World Rankings (as of May 1, 2003):

1 England 1239
2 New Zealand 1206 
3 Australia 1146 
4 France 1139
5 South Africa 1045 
6 Ireland 893
7 Scotland 783
(-) 8 Argentina 762 (+7)
9 Wales 702
10 Samoa 680 
11 Canada 603 
12 Italy 593
13 Fiji 567 
14 Tonga 523
15 Japan 471 
16 Romania 383
(+1) 17 United States 372 (+28) 
(-1) 18 Georgia 359
(-) 19 Uruguay 307 (+12) 
20 Namibia 294

(-) 21 Portugal 292
(-) 22 Russia 269
(+1) 23 Tunisia 254
(-1) 24= Chile 251 (-7)
(+1) 24= Morocco 251
(+1) 26 Korea 241
(+1) 27 Cote d'Ivoire 240
(-2) 28 Spain 234 (-12)
(-) 29 Czech Republic 232
(-) 30 Cook Islands 230
(-) 31 Zimbabwe 229
(+1) 32 Germany 225 (+3)
(+2) 33 Poland 221
(-1) 34 Ukraine 220 (-2)
(-3) 35 Netherlands 216 (-7)
(+1) 36 Denmark 211 (+3)
(-1) 37 Croatia 210
(+3) 38 Slovenia 207 (+9)
(-) 39 Switzerland 203
(-2) 40 Sweden 201 (-3)

(-) 41 Brazil 198
(+2) 42 Latvia 197 (+5)
(-3) 43 Belgium 193 (-6)
(-1) 44 Papua New Guinea 193
(-) 45 Chinese Taipei 190
(-) 46 Hong Kong 188
(-) 47 Paraguay 171 (-7)
(-) 48 Madagascar 169
(+1) 49 Arabian Gulf 163
(-2) 50 Yugoslavia 155 (-14)
(-) 51= Kenya 149
(+3) 51= Hungary 149 (+10)
(-1) 53 Trinidad & Tobago 147
(-1) 54 Austria 141
55 Bermuda 132
56= Malaysia 131
56= Andorra 131
58 Thailand 125
59 China 119
60 Moldova 102 (-6)

61= Lithuania 104
61= Singapore 104
63 Uganda 101
64 Kazakhstan 93
65 Botswana 92
66 Sri Lanka 91
67 Venezuela 87
68 Zambia 83
69= Cameroon 79
69= Cayman Islands 79
71 Israel 78
72 Tahiti 72
73 Malta 66 (+4)
74 Bosnia 62 (-3)
75= Bulgaria 55
75= Niue Island 55
78= Luxembourg 48
78= Jamaica 48
79= Solomon Islands 37
79= Peru 37
81 Monaco 36
82 Swaziland 34
83 Barbados 29
84= Mexico 26
84= Norway 26
86= Bahamas 24
86= Guyana 24
88 Vanuatu 23
89 Colombia 20