Wait is finally over as England get ready to kick off record World Cup at Twickenham

The wait is over, Chris Robshaw leads out hosts England at Twickenham Friday to play Fiji and kick off the Rugby World Cup that promises six weeks of spectacular record breaking.

Organisers say they will get their biggest ever World Cup revenues - £240 million (HK$2.87 billion) - while the 203 countries and territories watching on television are a new record. And on the pitch New Zealand hope they will become the first team to win back-to-back titles.

Bookmakers are backing Richie McCaw's All Blacks, just ahead of England. But the tournament's 28-year history is littered with the wrecked hopes of favourites.

And Robshaw - along with his Australia, South Africa and France counterparts - is among rivals hoping they can pull off an upset in the pressure cooker atmosphere.

"We are under no illusions as to exactly how big it is going to be," Robshaw said.

"But as players it's about going out there and playing our game, and trying not to get too caught up in the emotion."

England and Fiji will be the immediate centre of attention at Twickenham, the host country's home ground for more than a century and one of rugby's biggest stadiums with an 82,500 seat capacity and its own hotel.