Conduct an in-depth analysis of major rivalries and historical patterns in international rugby, highlighting country-specific results, performance differences by hemisphere, and the sport's evolution over time. The objective of this project is to offer a detailed view of the competitive rugby landscape, identifying key success factors and projecting future performance in major world tournaments, as well as the sport's impact on global popularity.
- Power Query.
- Data Modeling.
- Visualization.
- Pandas
- Matplotlib.
- Seaborn.
1. Project title: Rugby: Performance and Major Rivalries.
- Summary with key metrics: number of matches played, wins, draws, and losses.
- Timeline featuring the history of rugby, highlighting key events.
2. Cover Page/General Summary
3. Country Results Analysis
- Comparison of results by country (wins, losses, draws) over time.
- Relationship between matches played and victories, identifying performance patterns.
4. Point Distribution by Venue and Result
- Violin plot comparing accumulated points by venue (home/away) and result (winner/loser).
- Boxplots showing the point distribution by venue and by result.
5. Key Rivalries
- Analysis of country rivalries, showing rivalry intensity and historical wins.
- Top winning countries by decade, highlighting periods of dominance in international rugby.
6. Major Competitions Visualization
- Heatmap of victories by year and country in major international competitions.
- Rivalry analysis using a network graph, visualizing the relationships and matchups between the most competitive countries.
1. Tittle and Main Indicators
2. Match Results and Performance Indicators
This indicators shows a summary of rugby matches played, detailing victories, losses, and draws. This data helps provide a broad view of competition history.
3. History of Rugby
A timeline chart tracing key milestones in international rugby history, from the first match in 1871 to the present. It highlights events such as world wars, rugby's professionalization, and the creation of key tournaments like the Rugby World Cup and the Six Nations Championship.
4. Points Distribution by Hemisphere, Result, and Home/Away Status
A violin plot visualizing the distribution of points scored by hemisphere and whether the team played at home or away. Winning and losing points are distinguished, highlighting geographic trends in performance.
5. Results by Country (Wins, Losses, Draws)
A bar chart comparing the results by country. It shows the total number of wins, losses, and draws for each country, allowing you to identify the most dominant nations in rugby.
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6. Matches Played vs Wins Relationship
A bubble chart crossing the number of matches played with the number of wins, with the bubble size representing the proportion of results. It helps observe how participation correlates with success.
The graphs show that countries like New Zealand and South Africa have maintained consistently high performance levels over the years, while others like Argentina have shown significant improvement in recent decades. This suggests a consolidation of the stronger teams, but it also indicates that some countries are closing the competitive gap.
7. Points Distribution by Home/Away
A boxplot showing the dispersion of points scored by teams based on whether they were playing at home or away. The colors represent countries, allowing for an assessment of which nations perform better at home versus away.
The point analysis shows that home teams tend to achieve better results, reflected in higher average scores in matches won as hosts. This reinforces the well-known "home-field factor" in rugby, where fan support and familiarity with the terrain play a key role in performance.
8. Points Distribution by Result
Another boxplot segmenting team results (win, draw, or loss), showing how the number of points varies depending on the final result.
9. Top Winning Country by Decade
A ribbon chart illustrating which countries dominated each decade, based on accumulated wins. It helps observe shifts in the dominance of the main countries over time.
Countries like New Zealand and South Africa stand out as the dominant forces in several eras, with a continuous flow of victories over time. The width of the ribbons visually represents the consistency of their performance, with the most successful teams capturing the largest proportion of wins in major tournaments.
In contrast, teams like England and Australia display more variability in their performance, with periods of dominance interspersed with phases of lesser prominence. The thinner ribbons represent these fluctuations, showing that although they have moments of success, they do not achieve the same regularity as the global leaders.
10. Wins by Year and Country in Major Competitions
A heatmap displaying the number of wins by year and country in the major rugby competitions (Rugby World Cup, Six Nations Championship, The Rugby Championship). Darker colors represent a greater number of wins, making it easy to identify periods of success for each country.
The heatmaps reveal that, despite the competitiveness, few countries truly dominate in major international competitions. New Zealand and South Africa continue to be the main protagonists, with England and France attempting to close the gap in some periods. The network graphs of rivalries clearly show that matchups between these teams generate the greatest expectations and tensions worldwide.
11. Country Rivalry Network
A network graph connecting countries based on the frequency of their matches and the result in terms of victories. The nodes represent the countries, and the thickness of the connections indicates the intensity of the rivalry.
Historical rivalries, such as New Zealand vs. Australia, demonstrate a high degree of competitiveness, but with a clear advantage for New Zealand in most decades. In Europe, the rivalry between England and France remains intense, with both teams alternating periods of dominance. These data reveal how rivalries not only fuel passion for rugby but also reflect fluctuations in team preparation and form.
The Rugby dashboard offers a historic rivalries and performance based on home advantage. The visualizations show that, while rugby is highly competitive, certain countries like New Zealand and South Africa maintain consistent dominance over time. The analysis based on home advantage confirms the importance of the "home field factor," as local teams generally achieve better results.
Furthermore, some nations like Argentina have significantly improved their performance in recent decades, demonstrating the potential for teams to close the competitive gap. Rivalries between countries, such as New Zealand and Australia, exhibit a high level of intensity, though the All Blacks have historically held the upper hand. In Europe, the rivalry between England and France remains one of the most balanced and unpredictable, with both teams alternating periods of dominance.
This analysis provides valuable insights not only for rugby fans but also for coaches and strategists, who can use these findings to shape future plans whether it's for team preparation or investing in emerging talents.