page_title: Rugby World Cup hosts
section_title: 2003: Australia
hierarchical_section_title: Rugby World Cup hosts / Hosts by tournament / 2003: Australia
caption_attribution_description: Information Ballon de rugby sous la Tour Eiffel à l'occasion de la coupe du monde de rugby 2007 en France
context_page_description: The Rugby World Cup host nation is selected by World Rugby at a meeting six years before each tournament. Each of the Rugby World Cups from 1987 to 2015 were hosted by countries that are considered the traditional powers in World Rugby. The first non Rugby Championship or Six Nations country to host a Rugby World Cup was Japan in 2019, after failed bids for the 2011 and 2015 tournaments.
context_section_description: The 2003 Cup was intended to be held jointly by Australia and New Zealand, but disagreements between the International Rugby Board and the NZRU, over sponsorship, advertising and ticketing, saw the competition played solely in Australia. This was the first and only tournament to date to be won by a team from the northern hemisphere. The 2003 World Cup saw matches played in eleven stadia in ten Australian cities.
caption: Eiffel Tower decorated with a rugby ball for the 2007 RWC.
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