We have a giant ball in the middle of the Twickenham turf, and now a poem. World in Union now, the World Cup anthem, with some interpretive dance. A few old World Cup legends now, including Australia's Michael Lynagh, a winner in 1991, and Sean Fitzpatrick of New Zealand, a winner in 1987. South Africa's Chester Williams is also in the house, he won it in 1995. Lovely. Oh, and Martin Johnson, skipper of England when they won the thing in 2003.

Image source, Getty Images

Five-four-three-two-one... The opening ceremony has begun and we're currently being entertained by a video of a young William Webb Ellis picking up a football and running with it... Nice. It's how the game started, of course. 

"Don't worry, Jonny, it'll never catch on," says a man who looks remarkably like Prince Harry. It is Prince Harry, back in the late 1820s... 

Image source, Getty Images

Tom Fordyce
Chief sports writer at Twickenham

"Not to give you too much of an Opening Ceremony spoiler, but there is currently a 40-metre high laced brown rugby ball in the middle of the Twickenham pitch, which is itself broken into about 100 faux-tectonic plates. Oh - and three marching bands. Or one very big one marching in thirds."

Image source, Reuters

They thought they were attending a rugby match, the opening tie of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, but what the fans who have paid a hefty price for tickets didn't know was that they'd have to sing Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline. If ever there was a song to rattle the Fijians...

Twickenham far from intimidating at the moment as 80,000 fans swing and sway and sing-along to a Diamond classic. 

The Daily Express has called on England to "rekindle the Olympic spirit of London 2012 over the next six weeks". 

That's the Olympic spirit of London 2012 a few other home nations contributed to, too... Maybe Ireland will invoke the spirit of Henry Kelly...

Image source, Daily Express

What have the national newspapers had to say about tonight's opener? The back page of today's Mirror has quotes from England captain Chris Robshaw, who wants to make "a lot of people very proud". 

You've already made us proud, Chris, just by being you...

Image source, Mirror

Being a big cheese can help when it comes to getting tickets for the big games...

Close your eyes, take a deep breath... take it all in... the whiff of excitement, the smell of anticipation... beers sloshing, chariots swinging high, swinging low and anywhere else in between... 

This next bit might help you before you vote. A total of 102 nations entered the tournament, but only 20 remain and of those probably half a dozen have a realistic chance of winning.   

New Zealand are the bookies' favourites. The All Blacks are the defending champions, they've played 47 Test matches in the last four years and won 42 (89%). Should everyone else just give up now? 

No, says former England international Jeremy (Jerry to his friends) Guscott.

"They won't be fully tested until the quarter-finals or potentially the semis, if they make it that far, so they will be vulnerable when they face their first real test," he says. 

To read what Guscott and BBC Sport's other pundits have predicted for the tournament click here. 

Image source, BBC Sport

During this six-week festival we will witness bone-crunching tackles and super-human power, but who will triumphantly be holding the Webb Ellis Trophy aloft on 31 October? 

Will New Zealand defend their title? Or will it be Australia? Or England? Or South Africa? Or France... you get the drift. You can vote for your favourite on this page. Think, choose, click. 

There is a time limit, though, because voting will close at 19:30 BST.

Image source, BBC Sport

I should perhaps note that the popular masks (18:23 BST) around Rugby HQ are of England captain Chris Robshaw, although everyone should now know what the back-rower looks like being as he's now on a par with the great Martin Johnson. In some ways at least... 

For those who don't know, England will be wearing red tonight while Fiji, occupying the home dressing home, will be in white.

Tom Fordyce
Chief sports writer at Twickenham

Destruction was expected over these next six weeks as big-muscled behemoths crash, bang and wallop into each other, but no-one expected carnage at Cardiff Castle. 

England are hosts, of course, but matches will also be held at Wales' Millennium Stadium, although the Welsh seem to have over-inflated their rugby balls. 

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United and England midfielder Michael Carrick is expecting a home win tonight.

As the opening ceremony and first matches of the Rugby World Cup approach, BBC Weather's Ben Rich has taken a look at the weather prospects for the opening weekend. You could say he's done a weather forecast. 

He says: "There's a chance the weather can have a part to play today. There will be some showers and thunderstorms quite close to Twickenham and they should be fading away by the time the match gets under way - but there's a chance of a shower at the start of the match."

Click here to see the weather forecast for the first few days.