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Ireland has often been ranked as the number one team in the world, particularly ahead of major tournaments like the **2023 Rugby World Cup**, yet they’ve never made it beyond the quarter-finals in World Cup history. This has led to criticism of the **World Rugby ranking system** and questions about its fairness and accuracy.

### Key Issues with Ireland’s World Ranking:

1. **No Rugby World Cup Success**:

- Despite reaching the top of the rankings, Ireland has never made it to a World Cup semi-final. In 2023, after entering as the top-ranked team, they were knocked out by New Zealand in the quarter-finals once again. This contrasts with teams like **South Africa** and **New Zealand**, whose rankings often correlate with their World Cup victories.

- The World Cup is the pinnacle of rugby, and teams like **England**, **France**, and **Australia** have more World Cup success, yet Ireland’s ranking doesn’t reflect that.

2. **The Rugby World Rankings Formula**:

- **The current system** emphasizes results from regular-season matches, the **Six Nations**, and other international tournaments. Teams earn points for winning games regardless of the stakes, so teams like Ireland can rise to the top of the rankings due to consistent success in annual competitions like the **Six Nations**.

- While this system rewards consistency, it doesn’t necessarily account for the weight of **knockout tournament success**, like the Rugby World Cup, which is a different type of pressure and test of a team’s abilities.

3. **The Timing of Ranking Changes**:

- **World Rugby rankings** are dynamic, which means teams can peak in the rankings just before a major tournament, even if they haven’t proven themselves in that high-stakes environment. Ireland’s number-one ranking going into the 2023 World Cup is a perfect example, as they were in exceptional form throughout the **2022 and 2023 international seasons**, beating teams like South Africa and New Zealand in the lead-up.

- However, once they face the pressure of World Cup knockout rugby, they consistently fall short, which raises questions about the relevance of the rankings when it comes to measuring true championship pedigree.

4. **Flawed Reflection of Big-Match Performances**:

- Teams like **South Africa** and **New Zealand** tend to play their best rugby in high-pressure situations, which often comes down to **World Cup** knockout matches. Ireland, however, has struggled under similar circumstances, suggesting that regular season performance doesn’t necessarily translate to success when it matters most.

### Comparison with More Successful Teams:

- **South Africa** is the prime example of a team that may not always be ranked number one but has a proven ability to win **World Cups** (1995, 2007, 2019, 2023). They prioritize peaking at the right moments, even if it means losing a few games along the way in non-World Cup years.

- **New Zealand** is another team that has consistently been able to translate regular-season success into **World Cup** glory, especially during their 2011 and 2015 campaigns. They tend to hold higher rankings because their performances often carry through major tournaments.

### Flaws in the Rugby Ranking System:

1. **Not Weighted Towards World Cup Success**: The rankings formula places a similar value on every match, whether it’s a Six Nations game or a World Cup knockout match. There’s no extra weighting for **World Cup success**, which is arguably the most critical indicator of a team’s true strength.

2. **Short-Term Fluctuations**: The rankings can fluctuate heavily based on a few games in the lead-up to major tournaments, which often doesn’t account for long-term, sustained success in **high-pressure environments**.

3. **Match Importance Not Considered**: In a World Cup year, it’s often clear that teams like South Africa and New Zealand focus on peaking at the right moment. They may lose games in the build-up, but perform at a higher level during the World Cup. The rankings, however, don’t reflect this strategy.

### Conclusion:

While **Ireland**’s number one ranking reflects their **consistent form** in regular matches and tournaments like the Six Nations, it fails to capture their inability to perform at the highest level—**the Rugby World Cup**. Teams like **South Africa** and **New Zealand**, with their proven records in big tournaments, better represent what it means to be the top team in the world, regardless of their short-term rankings.

The World Rugby ranking system, while useful for tracking form, doesn’t adequately reward World Cup success or account for the fact that some teams excel when the stakes are highest. Because of this, Ireland’s top ranking, despite never reaching a World Cup semi-final, seems like a clear mismatch between **regular season form** and **championship pedigree**.

Maybe the Crusaders fan club in the coaching group is the reason Chay got selected?