Rugby World rankings

Can anyone really lift the Webb Ellis Cup this autumn? competitive Rugby World Cup. There are more contenders than ever for the men's Rugby World Cup 2023 ( ...

[three teams in the world’s top five in one group](https://www.rugbyworld.com/news/how-would-the-rugby-world-cup-pools-look-based-on-todays-rankings-150486). [victory against Wales in last year’s tournament](https://www.rugbyworld.com/tournaments/rugby-six-nations/italy-stun-wales-22-21-to-end-their-losing-run-139805) that ended the nation’s 36-Test losing streak was no one-hit wonder. The ground is already shifting and hope-core is here to stay. In the opening round of the Six Nations, [Siya Kolisi](https://www.rugbyworld.com/players/siya-kolisi-ten-things-to-know-125182), a man born into apartheid, lifted the Webb Ellis Cup as the country’s first black captain. Outside of the Six Nations, the Southern Hemisphere has been alight with some unexpected upsets too. Nearly every game on the international stage is hotly contested at the moment. Hope-core signifies that on any given day the unthinkable can happen and anybody can beat the topped ranked teams in the world. The 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan had its fair share of earthquakes. The plates have been shifting. #Hope-core is the latest stylised aesthetic for online videos doing the digital rounds. Usually those moments in sport that make you feel like the ground has shifted beneath your feet: the drama of close calls and shock upsets.