The 7 most bizarre moments in Rugby World Cup history: Dwarf throwing and poisoned food included

DWARF throwing, poison in a pre-match meal and players pumping up balls under water in the buff ... the strange and troubling world of World Cups past.

"England rugby captain Mike Tindall caught in a compromising position on video. Supplied."

Every World Cup throws up an unexpected or downright outrageous moment or two. Here, we pick the most bizarre memories from previous editions of the event.

1987: Cashing in before the stockmarket crash

Much of the eventful action of the inaugural World Cup happened before a ball was kicked. It took great effort and patience to organise the first tournament, despite British sports marketing firm West Nally lobbying strongly for years.

Eventually the members of the International Rugby Football Board agreed to play one, but the bizarre bit is that Australia demanded that West Nally, who won the right to be major sponsors with a $5 million bid, pay the money upfront. At the time it was unusual and seemed a harsh request, but West Nally eventually agreed.

Australia’s demand was later proven to be a masterstroke, as the stockmarket crash that same year skewered West Nally.

David Campese gets his Haka on, eight years after famously snubbing the All Blacks.

1991: David Campese ignores the haka

The ever controversial Wallabies winger decided to play mind games with the All Blacks before the semi-final.

As the Kiwis prepared for the haka, Campese wandered to the in-goal area. The haka began and Campese was kicking the ball to himself, oblivious to the anger building in his rivals.

But Campese had the last laugh, playing a blinder and throwing the blind pass for Tim Horan’s try as Australia pulled off the upset and knocked the defending champions out of the tournament.

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1995: Suzie the waitress

There have been plenty of excuses offered up after failed sporting campaigns, but perhaps the most infamous came after the All Blacks lost an incredible World Cup final to hosts South Africa.

The 15-12 extra-time result, the presentation by Nelson Mandela to Boks skipper Francois Pienaar, and the ensuing unity of the rainbow nation is a seminal marker in the game’s history. But later it was claimed that the All Blacks, clear favourites to win the tournament, had been poisoned at their hotel by a waitress named Suzie, who had purportedly spiked their food before the final.

Did ‘Suzie the waitress’ have anything to do with South Africa’s remarkable World Cup win.

Officials have since confirmed that while 30 of their 36-man squad fell ill, and that four players who ate outside the hotel on that fateful day did not get sick, there was little chance of a waitress named “Suzie” actually existing.

But some still believe there was a malicious reason for the food poisoning.

1999: Paddy O’Brien’s shocker

The Kiwi referee made several bizarre decisions during the match between France and Fiji which had the Islanders livid.

O’Brien’s mistakes undoubtedly led to a French victory against a gallant Fijian team. O’Brien missed a blatant headbutt by France, disallowed a clear Fijian try, gave France a dubious penalty try, awarded them another off a forward pass only to be corrected by the linesman before wrongly allowing France to kick a penalty goal instead.

O’Brien is extremely lucky that social media didn’t exist then.

2003: Kamp Staaldraard

South African coach Rudolph Straueli was left red-faced after his outrageous pre-tournament training regime backfired.

He organised Kamp Staaldraard, which is Afrikaans for Camp Barbed Wire, to break down any notion of individuality in his team. Players went to an army camp where they were forced naked into a freezing lake to pump up rugby balls under water. Those that tried to get out were allegedly forced back in at gunpoint.

They were also made to squeeze into foxholes naked, while stereos blared out God Save the Queen and the All Blacks’ haka at full volume, all while the players were hosed with cold water. Then they had to crawl naked across gravel, and were also forced to cut the heads off chickens, feather them and cook them, but not eat them.

The Boks were eliminated in the quarter-final of the Cup.

The Kamp Staaldraad stories began surfacing thereafter and Straueli was forced to resign along with several SARU officials.

Tonga had planned a different look for the 2007 World Cup.

2007: Tongans go green

Before the tournament started, the entire Tongan team dyed their hair green as part of a marketing gimmick devised by their major sponsor, betting agency Paddy Power.

The shameless company had even convinced Tongan centre Epi Taione to change his name to “Paddy Power” by deed poll.

The IRB, who generally care more about commercial sensitivities than the state of the game, demanded the gimmick cease, and it was comical to watch the Tongans enter their game against England with various shades of lightened green and other colours and cuts to appease the ruling body.

Mike Tindall gets up close and personal with not-his-wife at a bar in Queenstown.

2011: England throw dwarfs

The farcical Pommie campaign of the past World Cup is summed up best by their antics at a Queenstown pub.

English players gathered there for the promised “Mad Midget Weekender” and proceeded to throw dwarfs for fun. Skipper Mike Tindall was also caught on camera being kissed by a mystery blonde who was certainly not his wife, princess Zara Phillips.

Originally published as The 7 most bizarre moments in Rugby World Cup history: Dwarf throwing and poisoned food included