For some, it may still seem like a long way off, for others it can’t come soon enough. What are we talking about? The Rugby World Cup, of course - what else?

By the time the tournament kicks off on 18th September, when the hosts England take on Fiji at Twickenham, Wimbledon will already be forgotten and although the Ashes may still be fresh in our memories, summer will be all but over.

If you’re a rugby fan, why not throw a party for all your rugby mates to celebrate the Rugby World Cup?

Serious fun

The key to successful party planning is to take it seriously. That means encouraging your guests to enter into the spirit of the occasion. The best way to get the message across is by sending out themed party invitations that have all the essential information (date, time, location etc.) and also encourage everyone to support their team by wearing their team's colours on the day. You could also suggest they bring along some kind of national dish or drink on the day – haggis, anyone? – especially if some of your mates support different teams.

Our rugby themed invitations

At Putty Print, we’ve recently added rugby party invitations to our selection of party invites. Starting your party planning now means you’ve got plenty of time to get your order in, and send out the invites before the tournament starts. It also gives you time to decide what day to have the party on. The pool matches offer the best chance of seeing the home nations in action. England and Wales are both in pool A, along with Australia, Fiji and Uruguay; Scotland is in pool B, with South Africa, USA, Japan and Samoa; and Ireland is in pool D with France, Italy, Canada and Romania. The final itself is on 31st October, which might be a good day for a party, especially if you know any All Black supporters as they're firm favourites to win the tournament again. Plus, you could even combine your rugby party with a Halloween party!