Excitement continues to build in Auckland and Whangārei as Rugby World Cup 2021 gets ever closer to kick off.
On Saturday and Sunday, 12 of the best teams on the planet will take to the pitches at Eden Park and the Northland Events Centre as the long wait finally comes to an end.
But before the likes of Portia Woodman, Sarah Bern and Laure Sansus take centre stage this weekend, we delve into the numbers behind the delayed showpiece tournament.
Scroll down for 10 vital statistics on RWC 2021.
3 – Rugby World Cup 2021 will be played at three stadiums in Auckland and Whangārei, Eden Park, Northland Events Centre and Waitakere Stadium.
6 – members of the England squad lifted the trophy at RWC 2014 in France, beating Canada 21-9 in the final in Paris.
7 – the number of matches that will be played at the iconic Eden Park, including both semi-finals, the bronze final and final.
9 – players selected in the Black Ferns squad were part of the squad that won RWC 2017, beating England 42-31 in a classic final in Belfast.
9 – players, Kendra Cocksedge, Renee Wickliffe, Sarah Hunter, Emily Scarratt, Sioned Harries, Elinor Snowsill, Caryl Thomas, Shannon Parry and Sharni Williams, have been selected to appear at a fourth Rugby World Cup.
10 – of the 12 competing nations in Auckland and Whangārei have arrived in New Zealand with a participant in the RWC 2021 Coaching Internship Programme in their coaching team.
18 – years and 204 days old (on day of publication), Fiji’s Sulila Waisega is the youngest player to be selected to play at RWC 2021.
21 – Fiji are the lowest team in the World Rugby Women’s Rankings powered by Capgemini at 21st, 20 places below England, who they play in their first ever Rugby World Cup match on Saturday.
26 – matches will be played between 8 October and the final at Eden Park on 12 November.
37 – years and 197 days old (on day of publication), Australian scrum-half Iliseva Batibasaga is the oldest player selected in a RWC 2021 squad. Batibasaga appeared at both RWC 2006 and RWC 2010.
