While global audience figures are still being analysed, those provided by ITV for its coverage in one of rugby’s biggest markets point to further records. An average of 3.2 million people have watched the opening eight matches, up from one million at the same stage in 2011 and 2.4 million in 2007. The figure is already identical to the average from the entire 2003 World Cup – which included seven England games en route to them winning the tournament – and only a whisker short of the 3.5 million average from 2007, in which England also reached the final.