DEFENDING champions South Africa face a stern test when the World Rugby Classic kicks off on Sunday at the National Sports Centre's north field.

South Africa, who beat the New Zealand All Blacks in last year's final, will take on France in the second match on Sunday.

Teams from both hemispheres will arrive in the next 48 hours for a week-long festival of rugby that has been described by some as a cross between 'Once were Warriors' and 'Cocoon'.

Aging though most of the contestants may be, they are also among some of the finest players to have graced the game, and whatever happens it is sure to be an entertaining week.

While Australia take on Canada in the first game on Sunday, it is the South Africa v France match that follows that will capture most people's imagination.

If there is one side in the world who never fail to entertain then it is France.

Suicidal at times, breathtaking at others, the French approach is a brand of rugby that has produced some of the greatest moments the sport has ever seen.

And this year, France have included a player who scored one of the best tries the game has ever seen.

Jean-Luc Sadourny is one of the great names of French rugby. He took over from the legendary Serge Blanco at full back and made the position his own from 1991 to 2001.

He played 71 times for France, winning his first cap in 1991 against Wakes and his last against England in 2001.

In 1994 he scored one of the games "greatest tries" against New Zealand in Auckland.

A move that started inside the French 22, and went through several phases with the ball passing through at least ten pairs of hands, before being finished off by Sadourny.

He repeated the feet with another famous try a year later as France beat New Zealand 22-15 in Toulouse.

While most of the action will take place on the field, there will be enough entertainment off it to ensure that there is something for everyone.

"About 15,000 drinks were served in the week in the Members Tent while another 5,000 drinks were served at the Up Front Party," said Classic president John Kane.

"The Tent Tavern served 34,000 drinks, the Classic Club served 12,000 drinks while approximately 30,000 drinks were served in the Hospitality Village.

"Overall in the region of 100,000 beverages were served at the Classic.

"So I think we have catered for everyone by offering an array of prices and if, for some odd reason, you don't want to watch rugby but want to dance to the music in the Tent Tavern, then admission after the games are over, is $20."

Next week's tournament is as much about business as it is rugby, with firms such as KPMG, Bank of America and P, using it as a means of generating interest.

"This will be the fifth year KPMG has hosted a client event in the "K Pub" at the WRC and previously we have invited between 100 to 150 guests," said KPMG spokeswoman Joanne MacPhee.

"However, in direct response to the overall popularity of the event and our clients' ever growing enthusiasm for receiving an invitation, this year we are taking a double tent to accommodate 300.

"The Classic is one of two very significant client events we host every year, the other being the KPMG Invitational Mile at the start of International Race Weekend and we consider both events to be of enormous value to us.

"The WRC offers us an almost unprecedented opportunity to network with our clients in an informal and relaxed setting.

"It is also, in my opinion, a way to clearly demonstrate to our clients that we truly value our relationship with them at both a personal and professional level."