It's very rare in your lifetime you get a major world sporting tournament on your doorstep.

We football fans desperately hope the World Cup will return to these shores one day.

And we saw what happened when the Tour de France came here. You could hardly say cycling is one of the top spectator sports in the country but the euphoria and enthusiasm which accompanied the Grand Depart was incredible.

Hopefully the Rugby World Cup will be exactly the same.

As with the Euro 96 football tournament, we do need the main host nation to go well.

In the seven Rugby World Cups so far, three have been won by the home nation and in another two, the hosts have finished as runners-up.

So there is a huge chance England can make it to the final on October 31. If they do, the country will go mad.

Anybody who loves their sport can remember where they were when Jonny Wilkinson landed that drop goal to win England the title in Australia in 2003.

I certainly do, because I was at a Stag bash at The Belfry Hotel, where 200 people got up early to watch the rugby final.

It’s now one of our iconic sporting moments.

I am desperately hoping England go all the way again, although I can’t honestly say I watch that much rugby union throughout the season.

I don’t fully understand the rules, and I get frustrated with any sport when I haven’t got a clue why the referee has made a certain decision.

But I won’t let that take away my enjoyment of watching England progress and, hopefully, win a world event on home soil.

England are 11/2 with Skybet, the second favourites, while anybody who has ever seen a rugby ball will know who the favourites are!

There are two games at Elland Road – Italy v Canada and Scotland v USA – and I’ll definitely be trying to get to at least one of those, simply to be part of the World Cup.