It was set up in September 2009 and provides followers with the latest news of the preparations for the tournament.

Rugby World Cup Limited chairman Bernard Lapasset said: "We are very excited that so many fans have shown their support for the tournament via our official Facebook page and it is great to see fans from all over the world have joined the community.

"Through social media, we have been able to connect with a new audience for the tournament, an audience that we know will be the future of the sport in the years to come."

The audience is truly multinational as well, with 19 per cent of the followers from the UK, representing the largest single nationality group.

Another 11 per cent are from France and another 11 per cent from New Zealand, with 55 per cent under the age of 25.

Shane Harmon, general manager of marketing and communications at Rugby New Zealand 2011, said: "One of the features of Rugby World Cup is the good natured banter and camaraderie among fans of different teams.

"This passion is very much reflected on our Facebook page.

"Social media has developed into an integral part of our marketing and communications activities, allowing us to interact with Rugby World Cup fans to a level never before experienced by a Rugby event.

"Feedback on the page allows us make our content more relevant for fans.

"It's also a very important customer service platform where we answer numerous questions on a daily basis."

The Rugby World Cup 2011 also has media tools for fans on Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.

The tournament organisers will be using these various media platforms to interact with and offer news services to fans, including results, interviews, videos, photos and games.

Fans wishing to "like" the Rugby World Cup on facebook can do so by clicking here or follow the build-up to the tournament on twitter.

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