Well here we go then! I just can't wait for Friday evening and the start of the 2015 IRB Rugby World Cup right here slap bang on our own doorstep when England face Fiji at Twickenham, 8pm kick-off.

Played every four years it was first competed for back in 1987 when Australia claimed the inaugural Webb Ellis Trophy and this will be the eighth successive tournament and one which is now firmly recognised as one of the great knock-out competitions of world sport.

England, of course, won it back in 2003 when they saw off hosts Australia, 17-20, at Sydney's Telstra Stadium and oh how I, and I'm sure every other English fan, would love to see us lifting that trophy once more and especially at Twickenham!

Mind you, England have certainly got to get their tactics right from the word go as they are in, arguably, the strongest Pool of the four and can't even take Fiji lightly in their opening game as they've come on in leaps and bounds over recent seasons!

While two go through to the quarter-final stage, Australia will, undoubtedly, provide the toughest challenge to England's chances of topping the Pool while Wales too will test them to the limits although they will, undoubtedly, miss the kicking talents of the recently injured Lee Halfpenny.

Making up Pool A are Uruguay and it will be very interesting to see how they go and, who knows, perhaps surprise everybody!

Whatever happens it will, doubtless, be, as ever, a very exciting tournament packed with highly entertaining rugby and with, no doubt, some huge upsets over the six weeks culminating in the Twickenham final on Saturday, 31st of October.

Most of the local clubs have upgraded their TV’s and projectors for this great event so make sure you support your own club’s to watch the games and absorb the atmosphere throughout the tournament.

Despite all of the RWC action local rugby continues unabated and this week see's the third of the seasons league outings for both my boys Reading and our near neighbours Redingensians Rams.

Reading go to Witney looking to bounce back from last Saturday's 8-19 home defeat at the hands of Leighton Buzzard.

I thought that the boys dominated up front and at the line-outs and breakdowns but failed to turn this into points. A yellow card didn't help either and Buzzard were able to eventually build on their 8-11 interval lead. Newly promoted Rams, of course, also lost their second match of their opening National Div. 2 South season going down away at Old Albanians, 29-19.

It's been a tough baptism for them losing both their opening games but it takes time to settle into a higher league and I'm sure Mike Tewkesbury will see that they mature quickly and I wish them all the best for this weekend's game at the Old Bath Road Ground against Canterbury, 2pm.

With Berkshire Shire Hall going down 14-32 at home to Phoenix it was left to Reading Abbey to provide the only positive outcome of the day for the Reading based clubs. They continued along their winning ways of last season turning in a 24-33 victory away to Buckingham in their opening Southern Counties North match.

Anyway good luck to all our competing teams this weekend.