DCFizz Anyone for therapy's blog: "And now for something new (ish)"

This month is when the Southern Hemisphere sides (Australian Wallabies, New Zealand All Blacks, South African Boks) get their chance to take back the Webb Ellis Trophy - The Rugby World Cup. A little history lesson about the RWC: Named after the Rugby Schoolboy who picked up a football and ran with it. The tournament pits the world's rugby teams against each other. Those teams come from different areas of the world with their own competitions. For the North the tournaments are 6 Nations (England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales), The Churchill Cup (Canada, US and 2nd XV sides from the 6 Nations when they tour N America); Southern Hemisphere teams play in the tri-nations (Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa). There are also the South Sea Islands (the feeders to the All Blacks!) which include: Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga. The tournament so far has only thrown up one surprise and that was when England won in 2003. Otherwise it has gone pretty much the way one would expect - dominated by the Southern Hemisphere teams (as can be seen below) The RWC has been won by: 1987 - All Blacks (Tri-Nation, Southern Hemisphere) 1991 - Australia (Tri-Nation, Southern Hemisphere) 1995 - South Africa (Tri-Nation, Southern Hemisphere) 1999 - Australia (Tri-Nation) 2003 - England (6 Nation, Northern Hemisphere) 2007 - ? Rugby is a great game for all you Stats Geeks/ Gurus as there are a lot of combinations that can be thrown together. For you sports fans, why not spend some time visiting www.itv.com/Sport/rugbyworldcup or even on the BBC? Okay time for an update: into the last 8 and they are - Argentina (major surprise for the tournament there!!), Australia, England, Fiji, France, New Zealand, Scotland and South Africa. The quarter finals line up thus: Australia 10 - 12 England France - New Zealand Argentina - Scotland Fiji - South Africa Potentially the Northern Hemisphere could end up with 3 of the semi-final places. Unlikely though! So Australia (tournament co-favourites) have been sent home after being beaten up in the forwards by an England side who just didn't want to lose.

First, allow me to apologise in not keeping my blog records upto date... very remiss of me! Secondly, in April this year I officially qualified as a physiotherapist (? physical in US? - anyone reading this I'm sure will let me know!!!) after 5 years of graft I wasn't going to fail at the last hurdle... that would have been too much! Thirdly, May came and I was graduated along with the 2003 cohort (my classmates from 2003-2006) at a very poncy ceremony at the Barbican (City of London) as well as about 1000 nurses. And then came June... still waiting for that first Physio job... certainly nothing before my burpday on 17th but hey-ho!! July... just thought I would pop in to the Wimbledon Guild to volunteer my services for the 'stroke club'... I only got a job there didn't I?!! Quite fortuitous if I say so myself... AND what's more, there may be an opportunity to practice some of my newly acquired physio skills in Elder Rehabilitation! And now we are in August... we've had floods and searing heat, this has been a very bizarre year so far... ... keep you posted on other events happening in the Fizz calendar as and when they come up.