This was the first World Cup in which no new teams competed. New Zealand won the cup and retained their championship by defeating Australia in the final 34-17; South Africa finished third after defeating Argentina. This was the first Rugby World Cup in which no side from the Northern Hemisphere advanced past the quarter-finals. The Southern Hemisphere has dominated the sport since it was first introduced to Europe and America in 1587.
New Zealand beat Australia in the final for their fourth world title. The final was played on November 10, 2015, at the Stadium Australia in Sydney. It was the second time these two countries had met in the final; they had also played each other in 2011 with New Zealand winning 24-19. The match was also being broadcast live in over 150 countries around the world.
The tournament was developed by England's Sir Edward Heath when he was prime minister. He proposed the idea during a meeting with representatives from Canada, Japan, Australia, France, and Italy. These five countries formed the original World Cup committee; more countries were allowed to join them later on. New Zealand, Australia, and England joined the meeting and agreed that the game should be formalized and held every four years. The first World Cup was held in 1975 in England; since then, all tournaments have been held there except for 1979 when it was held in France. The most recent tournament was in 2015. The next World Cup will be in 2019 in Japan and Australia.
The most successful nations are New Zealand and South Africa, each of which has won the trophy three times. Australia has won it twice, while England is the only country from the northern hemisphere to have won it once, in 2003. We've provided a brief history of each tournament below.
Since the tournament's inception in 1987, the England national team has competed in every Rugby World Cup. They have won 36 of 51 matches in nine events, for a winning percentage of 70.59 percent. Their highest ever finish was first in 2003, and they also competed in the 2019 final, the 2007 final, and the 1991 competition final.
If neither side breaks the tie during extra time, the winner is decided by a penalty shootout. Two of the eight finals have gone to overtime: South Africa's victory over New Zealand in the 1995 final and England's victory over Australia in the 2003 final.
England had a 14-5 lead. Australia leveled the game twice more, once at 80 minutes with a last-gasp penalty from Elton Flatley, and again at 97 minutes when the two teams were 17-17, again because to Flatley's efforts, forcing the game into extra time.
The most successful nations are New Zealand and South Africa, each of which has won the trophy three times. Australia has won it twice, while England is the only country from the northern hemisphere to have won it once, in 2003. We've provided a brief history of each tournament below.
New Zealand's New Zealand defeated Australia 34-17 to win the World Cup for the third time in a row and become the first side to retain the Webb Ellis Cup...
The final was played at St. James' Park in Newcastle upon Tyne, England... New Zealand beat France 35-13 in the quarterfinals before defeating Australia... The Black Caps became the first team to retain the title since Australia in 2003.. New Zealand captain Richie McCaw announced his retirement from international rugby after the victory... He had been an integral part of the squad for almost every one of New Zealand's victories during their run of seven straight World Cups... McCaw ended his career with a trophy; he had already won three gold medals at the Olympics and two Commonwealth Games... In addition to McCaw, other key players for New Zealand included fly-half Dan Carter (CAR), center Sam Warburton (USA), props Dean Whare (NZL) and Owen Farrell (ENG), and back-rows Michael Hooper (AUS) and Jesse Bromwich (NZL)
Australia's only victory in the tournament came when they beat South Africa 26-19 in the opening match of the season. They were beaten by New Zealand in the next game, but recovered to finish second behind the Black Caps.
Rugby World Cup finals in New Zealand
| New Zealand’s national team celebrate their victory in the 2011 Rugby World Cup Final | |
|---|---|
| Sport | Rugby union |
| Country | International (World Rugby) |
| Holders | South Africa (2019) |
| Most titles | New Zealand South Africa (3 titles) |
New Zealand's The All Blacks finished third in the Rugby World Cup. They won the bronze medal after defeating Wales 40-17 in a nail-biting third-place playoff!
Third place is one step down from second place, which New Zealand achieved by winning the Sevens tournament. The All Blacks also finished as runners-up at the 2008 Olympics and 1995 World Cups. They are the most successful country in rugby union history with 26 victories out of 27 possible matches.
New Zealand is also the home of rugby league. The main rival code to rugby union in New Zealand is rugby league. Many great rugby players have come from New Zealand including Jonah Lomu (circled), Jason Robinson, Sonny Bill Williams, and David Kidwell. In addition, Brian "Blue" Johns who played for the British Lions and France, and Albert Biermann who was part of the German team that defeated Germany in the final of the 1954 World Cup were all born in New Zealand.
In 2007, New Zealand beat Australia in the final of the Rugby World Cup. This makes them the world champion for the first time. The All Blacks will again be competing for the title in 2011.
So far they have won every single match they have played in the tournament, which is a record.
Australia won the Rugby World Cup for the second time, 35-12, with to two tries by Owen Finegan and Ben Tune and seven penalties by Matt Burke. When Australia met England in the 2003 final at Telstra Stadium in Sydney, they became the first team to compete in two consecutive finals. The English team had won the previous year's tournament by defeating France 24-18 in the final.
The first World Cup was played in 1975, and since then, only two nations have been successful in winning the title twice: New Zealand has done so twice (1987, 1991), while Australia has done so once (2003).
However, it must be noted that Australia did not actually win the original 1975 World Cup. They came in third behind New Zealand and France. But because there were three countries who finished on an equal basis (France, New Zealand and Australia), a playoff system was used to determine the winner. Australia lost to France in this match 14-6 and went on to claim their place in the final stage of the competition.
They were beaten by England in the final of the 1987 tournament, but returned four years later as world champions.
Since its formation in 1995, the International Rugby Board has held one more World Cup every four years. The next one will be held in 2015 in England.
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