How Many Countries Have You seen In Test Rugby?

First topic message reminder :

Just having a think about this earlier- the number of teams I've seen in Test Rugby. Thought I would publish my list and people could publish theirs and we could have a bit of a competition to see whose is longest. If you saw them once or a hundred times, it doesn't make a difference. All must be countries who appear on the IRB Rankings, with the exception of the British and Irish Lions. Sound fair? Every country is worth one point, if you saw a country (or the Lions) in a midweek match or an A international thats worth half a point. But you can't count the same country twice. i.e. if you saw the All Blacks beat Munster and Ireland thats still just 1 point.

Ok? Ok.

This is just meant to be a bit of fun but I'll be updating a league table. NO LYING!

Table

PenfroPete, 21 points (20 countries + the Lions)
GunsGerms, 19 points (18 countries + Pacific Islanders)
tigertattie, 19 points (19 countries)
EWT Spoons, 19 points (19 countries)
LordDowlias, 19 points (17 countries + the Lions + the Pacific Islanders)
LondonTiger, 17.5 points (17 countries + the Lions)
hjumpshoe, 17 points (16 countries + the Lions)
BigWilly, 17 points (16 countries + the Lions)
Swperb, 16.5 points (17 countries)
offload, 16 points (16 countries)
doctor-grey, 16 points (15 countries + the Lions)
bedfordwelsh, 16 points (15 countries + the Lions)
BristolDave, 16 points (15 countries + the Lions)
GLove39, 16 points (16 countries + Pacific Islanders)
debaters1, 16 points (15 countries + Pacific Islanders)
the goon, 15 points (15 countries)
Notch, 14 points (15 countries)
thomh, 14 points (14 countries)
Glas a Du, 14 points (14 countries)
Jenifer McLadyboy, 14 points (14 countries)
Pete330v2, 13 points (13 countries)
dailym, 12 points (12 countries)
beshocked, 13 points (12 countries + Lions)
Risca Rev, 12 points (12 countries)
The Saint, 11 points (10 countries + the Lions)
captain carrantuohil, 11 points (11 countries)
kiakahaaotearoa, 10 points (10 countries)
Gibson, 10 points (10 countries)
Mickado, 10 points (10 countries)
fa0019, 10 points (9 countries + the Lions)
tomhughesnice, 9 points (9 countries)
bsando, 8 points (8 countries)
MetalTiger, 8 points (8 countries)
Shifty, 7 points (8 countries)
ScarletsSpiderman, 7 points (7 countries)
mckay1402, 7 points (6 countries + the Pacific Islanders)
Breadvan, 6.5 points (7 countries)
Biltong, 5 points (5 countries)
asoreleftshoulder, 4 points (4 countries)
Looseheaded, 3 points (3 countries)
Geordie Falcon, 1.5 points (2 A games and a club vs country)
Thomond, 1.5 points (3 club vs country)

It counts for a half point

Notch wrote:Whopper effort Pete

 
Helps if you can get overseas for a World Cup. Did I mention I'd been to RWC 2011

Notch, Do I have to be at the bottom of the pile?

6 Nations
Rugby Championship

Samoa, Fiji, Romania

Possibly Canada - memory on that one is hazy.

Biltong wrote:Notch, Do I have to be at the bottom of the pile?

Its nothing to worry about Biltong, its just a bit of fun. No-one is going to think less of you for having been to less test matches... there are people in Ireland who go to all the test matches and never go to any other games, who have no clue about rugby at all. It's a fairly meaningless statistic at the end of the day.

I've been to see all 6 6 nations teams, Aus, SA, Argentina and Fiji.

Only 10... and no New Zealand. I've an opportunity to add 2 more this year, I'll try and make that happen.

I think my figure is 9.

SA (H & A)
England (H & A)
Wales (H & A)
Scotland (H)
Italy (A)
France (A)
NZ (A)
AUS (A)
ARG (A)

Lions vs. ARG 05
Lions tour 09 (no tests mind, just WP & Emerging boks)

Thats it, I'm off to watch Kenya vs. Zimbabwe to up my score.

Notch wrote:

Biltong wrote:Notch, Do I have to be at the bottom of the pile?

Its nothing to worry about Biltong, its just a bit of fun. No-one is going to think less of you for having been to less test matches... there are people in Ireland who go to all the test matches and never go to any other games, who have no clue about rugby at all. It's a fairly meaningless statistic at the end of the day.

I am not worried mate, more suicidal.  

could I add WP vs. North Transvaal??? probably a bigger game then most test matches, unions equivalent to the state of origin match in league.

Not that I've looked at the IRB rankings in their entirety, but I think my answer is 11 - the 6 Nations participants, the SANZAR nations, Argentina and Canada. Saw England play Canada at what felt like a half-full Wembley back in the early 90s, when Canada had an extremely useful side. A slightly surreal experience in retrospect.

I think I win (lose?) assuming no underage internationals and club v country games don't count.

Zero!

Thomond wrote:I think I win (lose?) assuming no underage internationals and club v country games don't count.

Zero!

 

There you go Biltong.

Argentina
AUS
Barbarians
British Lions
Canada
England
NZ
SA
Wales

Seriously though Thomond, how come you've never been? Lack of money? Lack of interest? A combination of both?

It's an expensive day out from Cork well above 200 quid if you're going by car. If it's a choice between a game in Thomond Park or Lansdowne, it's Munster 10 times out of 10. When you factor in Cork GAA games in Croker too (average about 1/2 a year although none this year unless they get to a final as I'm away) it eats up into the cash. I've been to a good few soccer internationals, our school was given tickets to games and you could get there for around 80 quid in between food and travel I've been to a fair few soccer matches with Ireland. Then there's Cork City trips which are far cheaper as the club runs buses to and from games but 4 or 5 trips a year and you're out of pocket a sizable amount!


There's also the fact that 9 Saturdays out of 10 there's a good chance I'm playing a match or involved in some other way with the local club.

England
Ireland
Scotland
Wales
Italy
France
Argentina
South Africa
Australia
New Zealand
Tonga
Samoa

12 + Lions.

All 6n teams, all 4n teams

Lions v SA & Argentina

BaaBaa's against various
 
In addition - Tonga, Fiji, Samoa & W. Samoa (does that count) Japan. Zimbabwe in 1991 WC (surely that has to count double!!?)

Is this actually going to see them or watching them on tele. I think I have seen every side ever to play Wales since the ninties, and a few who have played our clubs, but I have seen even more teams on the tele.

LordDowlais wrote:Is this actually going to see them or watching them on tele. I think I have seen every side ever to play Wales since the ninties, and a few who have played our clubs, but I have seen even more teams on the tele.

Going to the ground and physically being present to watch the match.

These are all the international teams I have seen off the top of my head:-

Wales
England
Ireland
Scotland
Italy
France
South Africa
Australia
All Blacks
Samoa
Argentina
Tonga
Fiji
Japan
USA
Canada
Romania

Add to that list Barbarians and BI Lions.

Samoa and Western Samoa count as one team. They are representing the same country after all.

I am racking my brain here, I am sure there are more.

Does international league games count ?

LordDowlais wrote:Does international league games count ?

If you mean Rugby League- no.

Does it count if you heard a game on the wireless?

Cyril wrote:Does it count if you heard a game on the wireless?

 No.

Notch wrote:Samoa and Western Samoa count as one team. They are representing the same country after all.

Booh - not fair

Ok Notch I'm done, I dont think I have seen any others.

Noooooooooooooo, wait, wait Notch, I remember another, I knew there was more, I saw the Pacific Islands combined team play Wales a few years back. Does that one count ?

LordDowlais wrote:Noooooooooooooo, wait, wait Notch, I remember another, I knew there was more, I saw the Pacific Islands combined team play Wales a few years back. Does that one count ?

You already have the All Blacks down once. Can't repeat teams

Oh and I only watched the Lions at Cardiff against Argentina so that probably does not count as a full point, I really should read the WHOLE article before I post. Also, SF I do n ot know if you are teasing me, but you do realise the All Blacks were not part of the whole pacific Islands combinded team thingy, don't you ?

The All Blacks! 13 ooh and Romania 14.

LordDowlais wrote:Oh and I only watched the Lions at Cardiff against Argentina so that probably does not count as a full point, I really should read the WHOLE article before I post. Also, SF I do n ot know if you are teasing me, but you do realise the All Blacks were not part of the whole pacific Islands combinded team thingy, don't you ?

..... tough crowd in today..... !  

Yeah, sorry but I left my Tease-Confirmation form with the Mods, Lord.  Didn't realise I needed to keep a copy.  606 bureaucracy is becoming very stifling after the Lions tour shenanigans.

Black hat...

Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales, England, France, Fiji, USA, Canada, Romania, Samoa, Argentina, AB's, Aus, SA.

I was also at the match Ireland played agianst the combined PI Team a few years ago. And I've seen the BaaBaas too. Can I get a point between the two of those sides please?!

So that is 15 under your rules. I'm quite pleased with that and I also hope that I haven't forgotten any side either.....

Pacific Islanders counts as a composite international touring side the same as the Lions. However, Barbarians RFC do not count as they are officially a club side.

Make sense? Doesn't matter. My thread my arbitrary rules

Glas a du wrote:Black hat...

 

Some real test match veterans here, but no-one can touch Penfro for the breadth of sides seen live. No surprise really- the guy went to RWC2011 and the Lions tour of Australia. What a dude.

Yay! 16! Thanks Nothc, despite not counting the Barbarians!

My first post here in an age and thank goodness I don't have to utilise the mental abilities too much.

England
Ireland
Scotland
Wales
France
Italy
South Africa
New Zealand
Australia
Argentina
Japan
Fiji
Samoa

Mongolia.........OK so maybe not Mongolia. They'd be great though, all on horseback.

What about England/Wales v Scotland/Ireland - there were 2 or 3 of those celebration games in the 70's - 1 pt each?

...and NZ Maori in the Churchill Cup (v Ireland A)? 1/2 pt?

Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales, France, Italy

SA, Aus, NZ, Samoa (also saw western samoa, they classed as a different nation???), Fiji, Tonga, Japan, Argentina, Canada, Portuagal, Netherlands, Romania, Georgia

Baa Baas?

Scotland A, do they count? If so, NZ Moari and England Saxons

Think thats em all!

Wales, Scotland, England, Ireland, France, Italy, SA, Australia, NZ, Argentina, Samoa (western samoa?), Fiji, Tonga, Romania, Canada, Japan

That's it = 16

No actual tests for me  

But can i count:
England Saxons v Scotland
Tonga v Falcons
??

Updated the table- A teams count for half a point, but only if you haven't seen the full test side. So cause tattie has seen Scotland, England and New Zealand its a moot point.

Yes! Out of the relegation zone. Get in...

all the 6 nations
Australia
ABs
Argentina
Fiji
Luxembourg
Bulgaria
Greece
Finland
Boznia and Hertzagovnia

I lived in Lux btw, and these were IRB sanctioned European Nations Cup matches. Do I get double points for random countries?

England vs NZ, AUS, France, Scotland, Italy, Tonga, Argentina. 8pts
South Africa vs Baa baas. 2pts

10pts total. I hope to contribute many more points at the 2015 RWC.

Notch do the NZ Maori count as well ? I have seen them against Wales as well. Sheesh I keep forgetting, perhaps because we lost.