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The year that was, 2007.
With no more Internationals this month, the International Rugby Board Ladder should look like this below.
Congratulations to South Africa, enjoying the double of World Cup Winners and IRB Ladder Leaders. Savour it while you can...
As always the ladder tells many stories of mixed fortunes, of soaring minnows and collapsing giants.
At the bottom I have included the movers and shakers for both the full 95 Member Unions and for the Top Twenty.
Interestingly, although some came and went, after twelve months we have the same twenty Unions making up the top of the ladder.
Overall, "the mighty" Kazakhstan was the success story of 2007 climbing an impressive 14 places to 32, ahead of Uganda's 12 places to 38. Perhaps Borat has been helping with their training with some Western techniques?
China continues to climb, 9 positions to the 40th rung, as the mighty sleeping giant in an Olympic frenzy year.
One can only wonder what a Japan 2011 World Cup might have done to Chinese Rugby. With their full Armed Forces now being trained in Rugby Union, watch this space!
The less said about Australia the better I guess, except at least the Frogs did worse in a Home World Cup year!
It also makes the margins far greater when we start winning under Deans so that with a couple of wins over the 3N teams and we will right back amongst it.
With many of the top nations rebuilding next year, 2008 promises to be an interesting season, I can't wait!
Position (last year)/Member Union/Rating 2007/Rating 2006
1(4) SOUTH AFRICA 90.81 84.69
2(1) NEW ZEALAND 89.59 94.59
3(6) ARGENTINA 87.42 79.07
4(7) ENGLAND 85.55 78.61
5(3) AUSTRALIA 84.2 85.5
6(2) FRANCE 80.32 85.87
7(5) IRELAND 78.5 84.67
8(9) SCOTLAND 76.73 76.73
9(11) FIJI 75.88 73.11
10(8) WALES 74.17 76.87
11(12) ITALY 73.48 72.79
12(10) SAMOA 71.61 73.72
13(16) TONGA 71.51 66.01
14(13) CANADA 67.25 69.32
15(15) ROMANIA 66.73 68.26
16(17) GEORGIA 66.42 64.97
17(20) RUSSIA 65.88 62.7
18(18) JAPAN 65.35 64.88
19(14) USA 64.68 69.24
20(19) URUGUAY 63.18 64.4
21(25) SPAIN 62.3 57.78
22(21) PORTUGAL 60.17 61.54
23(22) KOREA 57.99 60.16
24(24) CHILE 57.07 59.22
25(23) NAMIBIA 56.82 59.29
26(27) GERMANY 56.57 55.62
27(30) HONG KONG 54.64 53.34
28(33) BELGIUM 54.58 52.56
29(34) MOLDOVA 54.45 52.39
30(26) MOROCCO 54.14 56.49
31(29) PARAGUAY 53.82 53.82
32(46) KAZAKHSTAN 52.88 47.95
33(35) BRAZIL 52.55 52.31
34(28) CZECH REPUBLIC 51.92 53.87
35(32) TUNISIA 51.58 52.65
36(36) POLAND 51.43 50.92
37(31) UKRAINE 50.23 52.95
38(50) UGANDA 50.22 46.34
39(41) SWEDEN 49.95 48.75
40(49) CHINA 49.92 46.58
41(47) MADAGASCAR 49.8 47.95
42(40) KENYA 49.29 48.86
43(43) IVORY COAST 49.19 48.22
44(44) CROATIA 48.64 49.39
45(36) LATVIA 48.39 49.54
46(38) NETHERLANDS 47.78 49.52
47(43) ARABIAN GULF 47.32 48.32
48(42) CHINESE TAIPEI 47.14 48.41
49(52) COOK ISLANDS 45.87 45.87
50(55) MALTA 45.72 44.23
51(45) SRI LANKA 45.66 48.16
52(48) SWITZERLAND 45.51 47.13
53(54) PAPUA NEW GUINEA 45.09 45.09
54(51) SINGAPORE 44.91 46
55(61) LITHUANIA 44.86 42.65
56(53) ZIMBABWE 44.45 45.51
57(56) TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 43.97 43.97
58(57) CAYMAN 43.87 43.87
59(60) DENMARK 43.8 42.92
60(65) PERU 43.34 41.75
61(59) BARBADOS 43.13 43.13
62(69) HUNGARY 42.62 41.36
63(68) COLOMBIA 42.55 41.69
64(62) ANDORRA 42.53 42.63
65(64) SLOVENIA 42.42 41.9
66(67) BERMUDA 41.69 41.69
67(73) THAILAND 41.46 40.8
68(63) SENEGAL 41.44 42.13
69(72) NIUE ISLANDS 40.96 40.96
70(58) VENEZUELA 40.71 43.4
71(70) ZAMBIA 40.64 41.35
72(74) GUYANA 40.35 40.35
73(71) SERBIA 40.11 41.14
74(76) ST. VINCENT & THE GRENADINES 39.3 39.3
75(77) SOLOMON ISLANDS 39.06 39.06
76(78) JAMAICA 38.97 38.97
77(79) MONACO 38.81 38.81
78(66) MALAYSIA 38.64 41.7
79(80) BOTSWANA 38.64 38.64
80(83) LUXEMBOURG 38.4 37.93
81(81) CAMEROON 38.26 38.52
82(84) SWAZILAND 37.57 37.57
83(85) ST. LUCIA 37.57 37.57
84(88) INDIA 37.54 36.2
85(75) AUSTRIA 36.99 39.97
86(82) GUAM 36.8 38.13
87(86) NORWAY 36.66 37.03
88(87) TAHITI 36.25 36.25
89(89) NIGERIA 36 36
90(90) BAHAMAS 35.61 35.61
91(91) VANUATU 34.77 34.77
92(92) BULGARIA 33.98 34.1
93(93) ISRAEL 32.74 33.56
94(94) FINLAND 31.71 30.87
95(95) BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA 29.25 30.25
IRB Shining Lights:
Move +/-/Position (last year)/Member Union
14 32(46) KAZAKHSTAN
12 38(50) UGANDA
9 40(49) CHINA
7 62(69) HUNGARY
6 41(47) MADAGASCAR
6 55(61) LITHUANIA
6 67(73) THAILAND
5 28(33) BELGIUM
5 29(34) MOLDOVA
5 50(55) MALTA
5 60(65) PERU
5 63(68) COLOMBIA
Top 20, Greatest Climbers:
Move +/-/Position (last year)/Member Union
3 1(4) SOUTH AFRICA
3 3(6) ARGENTINA
3 4(7) ENGLAND
3 13(16) TONGA
3 17(20) RUSSIA
IRB Falling Stars:
Move +/-/Position (last year)/Member Union
-12 70(58) VENEZUELA
-12 78(66) MALAYSIA
-10 85(75) AUSTRIA
-9 45(36) LATVIA
-8 46(38) NETHERLANDS
-6 34(28) CZECH REPUBLIC
-6 37(31) UKRAINE
-6 48(42) CHINESE TAIPEI
-6 51(45) SRI LANKA
-5 19(14) USA
-5 68(63) SENEGAL
Top 20, Greatest Fallers:
Move +/-/Position (last year)/Member Union
-4 6(2) FRANCE
-2 5(3) AUSTRALIA
-2 7(5) IRELAND
-2 12(10) SAMOA
-2 10(8) WALES
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.