Rugby World Cup | Australia | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit Qualifying tournaments were introduced for the second tournament , where eight of the 16 places were contested in a 24 nation tournament. The inaugural World Cup in 1987, did not involve any qualifying process; instead, the 16 places were automatically filled by seven eligible International Rugby Football Board (IRFB, now, International Rugby Board) member nations, and the rest by invitation. The current format allows for eight of the 20 available positions to be filled by automatic qualification, as the eight quarter finalists of the previous tournament enter its successor. The remaining 12 positions are filled by continental qualifying tournaments. [3] Positions are filled by three teams from the Americas , one from Asia , one from Africa , three from Europe and two from Oceania . [3] Another two places are allocated for repechage . The first repechage place is determined by a match between the runners-up from the Africa and Europe qualifying tournaments, with that winner then playing the Americas runner-up to determine the place. [4] The second repechage position is determined between the runners-up from the Asia and Oceania qualifiers.

[4] Tournament Edit The current model features 20 nations competing over a month in the host nation(s). There are two stages, a group and a knock-out. Nations are divided into four pools of five nations, A through to D. [5] The pool allocation system seeds teams ranked one through to four from the previous tournament, into A through to D pools respectively. The other four automatic entrants——the losing quarter-finalists from the previous tournament are drawn into an individual pool at random. [6] The remaining positions in each pool are filled by the qualifiers. Nations play four pool games, playing their respective pool members once. [5] A bonus points system is used during pool play. If two or more teams are level on points, a system of criteria (starting with (i) through to (v)) is used to determine the higher rank. [7] If there is no resolution through the five steps stipulated by the criteria, then step (vi) decides the higher rank through the Official IRB World Rankings. [7] The winner (first position) and runner-up (second position) of each pool enters the knock-out stage.

[5] The knock-out stage consists of quarter and semi-finals, and then the final. The winner of each pool is placed against a runner-up of an opposing pool in a quarter-final. [5] The winner of each quarter-final goes on to the semi-finals, where the respective winners proceed to the final. Losers of the semi-finals contest for third place (called the 'Bronze Final'). [5] Should a tie results during an event in the knock-out stages, the winner is determined through extra time . Should that fail, sudden death begins, and as a last resort, a kicking competition. [7] History Edit Prior to the Rugby World Cup, there had been various competitions that were similar in nature. One of the largest and oldest international rugby union competitions is the Home Nations , first played in 1883 through to 1909 between England , Ireland , Scotland and Wales . [8] It became the Five Nations in 1910 when France joined, although they were excluded from 1931 to 1939 amid allegations of professionalism. [9] Though the nations' tournament was a European affair, it was one of the few consistent international competitions.

Rugby union was also played at the Summer Olympics , first appearing at the 1900 Paris games and subsequently at London in 1908 , Antwerp in 1920 , and Paris again in 1924 . [10] France won the first gold medal, then Australasia, with the last two being won by the United States. [10] The International Olympic Committee (IOC) however cancelled rugby union as an Olympic sport. [10] The idea of a Rugby World Cup had been suggested on numerous occasions as far back as the 1950s, though the IRFB made it clear that it did not want its member unions to get involved in anything like a world championship. [11] The idea resurfaced throughout the early 1980s, and was dismissed at a 1983 IRFB meeting. It is thought that the defining moment in the creation of such a tournament came when the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) and the New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU) each independently wrote to the IRFB seeking to conduct a World Cup tournament.

[11] In 1985 the IRFB approved the inaugural cup, which was to be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand during May and June of 1987, though the proposition was met with much opposition, led by the British and Irish delegations. [11] The decisive vote to approve the proposal came from the South African delegates, who voted in favor despite knowing that the international sports boycott on their country's apartheid regime would prevent their team from participating in the tournament. [11] File:England world cup.jpg The inaugural tournament was contested in Australia and New Zealand between 16 nations. The All Blacks (New Zealand) became the first ever champions, defeating France 29 points to nine. The subsequent 1991 tournament was hosted by England , with matches also being played throughout the rest of Britain , Ireland and France . This tournament also saw the abolition of invitation qualification—with a qualifying tournament being introduced which involved 35 nations. Australia won the second tournament, defeating England , 12 points to six. The 1995 tournament was hosted by South Africa —the nation that originally tipped the vote that saw the first event take place.

The tournament was the first that South Africa would actually play in, following the end of the international sports boycott. The tournament had a fairytale ending, as South Africa were crowned champions over the All Blacks, which concluded with then President Nelson Mandela , wearing a Springbok jersey and matching baseball cap, presenting the trophy to the South Africa's captain Francois Pienaar . The moment is seen as one of the most emotional in the sport's history. [12] However, there were allegations that the New Zealand side were food poisoned. Reports of this had been around for days before the game, and a police inquiry was launched. It was suspected that book-keepers had poisoned the New Zealand side at a banquet, and the only team-members to escape the alledged poisonings did not eat at the suspected banquet. The tournament in 1999 was hosted by Wales with matches also being held throughout the rest of the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. The tournament included a repechage system, alongside specific regional qualifying places, and an increase from 16 to 20 participating nations. Australia claimed their second title, defeating France in the final.

The 2003 event was hosted by Australia; although it was originally intended to be held jointly with New Zealand, disagreements between the IRB and the NZRFU over sponsorship, advertising and ticketing saw the competition given in its entirety to Australia. England emerged as champions defeating Australia in extra time. England's win was unique in that it broke the Southern hemisphere 's domination of the event. Such was the celebration of England's victory, that an estimated 750,000 people gathered in central London to greet the team, making the day the largest sporting celebration of its kind ever in the United Kingdom. [13] The 2007 competition will be held in France, with matches also being held in Wales and Scotland. The 2011 tournament was awarded to New Zealand in November 2005, ahead of bids from Japan and South Africa. Trophy Edit The Webb Ellis Cup is the prize presented to winners of the Rugby World Cup, named after William Webb Ellis , who is credited with creating the game of rugby football . The trophy is also referred to simply as the Rugby World Cup. The trophy was chosen in 1987 as an appropriate cup for use in the competition.

The words 'International Rugby Board' and 'The Webb Ellis Cup' are engraved on the face of the cup. It stands at 38 centimetres and is silver gilded in gold, and supported by two cast scroll handles, one handle has a head of a satyr , and the other has a head of a nymph . [14] The colloquial name of the trophy in Australia is "Bill"—a reference to William Webb Ellis. The trophy is currently kept in the Museum of Rugby , London . Selection of hosts Edit Tournaments are voted on by the IRB member nations and are organised by Rugby World Cup Ltd (RWCL). [15] This decides what nation(s) will host the tournament, with the voting procedure managed by a team of independent auditors, and the voting kept secret. All the tournaments thus far have been held in nations in which rugby union is a popular sport, this trend continued when New Zealand was awarded the 2011 event ahead of Japan, a traditionally weaker rugby nation in comparison to New Zealand.

The allocation of a tournament to a host nation is now made five or six years prior to the commencement of the particular event, as New Zealand were awarded the 2011 event in late 2005. [16] The hosting process has been controversial in the past. The 2003 tournament was intended to be co-hosted by both Australia and New Zealand, but was in the end hosted by just Australia due to a disagreement over stadium advertising. [17] New Zealand was due to host 23 of the 48 matches. [17] In addition there was some confusion regarding 2011 bidding process, as it was rumored that the Unión Argentina de Rugby (UAR) voted for New Zealand in hope of having some form of regular competition (Argentina are the only tier one nation not involved in a tournament such as the Six Nations or Tri Nations ). [16] However these claims were later described as incorrect. [16] The IRB requires that a host nation must have a 60,000 (minimum) capacity venue for the final.

[18] Host nations sometimes construct or upgrade stadia in preparation for the World Cup; such as Millennium Stadium - purpose built for the 1999 tournament or the upgrade of Eden Park for 2011. [19] Media coverage Edit Template:See also The tournament is considered to be one of the largest international sporting events in the world, with the FIFA World Cup and the Summer Olympics being paramount to it. [1] [2] The first World Cup, in 1987, had a cumulative world television audience of 300 million; its successor, the 1991 event in England, reached 1.75 billion. South Africa's 1995 tournament reached 2.67 billion, and the 1999 Welsh hosted event reached 3 billion. [20] The 2003 tournament had a cumulative world television audience of 3.5 billion, [21] and the final, between Australia and England, became the most watched rugby match in the history of Australian television. [22] The event was broadcast in 205 countries.

[23] The 2003 event had 48 matches, with an average attendance of 38,282 and a total of 1,837,547. [24] Results Edit In total, 23 nations have participated at the Rugby World Cup (excluding qualifying tournaments). Out of the five tournaments that have been held, all but one have been won by a southern hemisphere nation. [25] The All Blacks won the inaugural World Cup in 1987, with Australia winning in 1991, South Africa in 1995 and then Australia again in 1999. [25] The Southern hemisphere dominance, which extended over four World Cups, was broken at in 2003, when England beat Australia in the final. [25] The achievements of northern hemisphere teams should not be overlooked, as the only all-Southern final was in 1995 (South Africa and the All Blacks), with England (1991) and France (1987 and 1999) being runners-up in all the other tournaments before the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

In addition, the cumulative spread of nations in the third/fourth place playoff is equal between both hemispheres over all tournaments. Thus far the only nations to host and win the tournament are New Zealand (1987) and South Africa (1995). The performance of other host nations includes England and Australia being runners-up in 1991 and 2003 respectively. Wales did not feature in the final that they hosted in 1999. Of the 23 nations that have ever participated in at least one tournament, 12 of them have never missed a tournament. [26] The table below shows the 23 nations which have participated in one or more tournaments with their best achievement(s). Nation Edit The 1987 tournament was evidence of an existing gulf between the top nations and the (then) weaker sides. This was shown when the All Blacks scoring 74 points against Fiji and France scoring 13 tries against Zimbabwe .

[27] [27] The most points that have ever been scored against a nation during a Rugby World Cup is 145—by the All Blacks against Japan in 1995, with the widest margin being 142, held by Australia in a match against Namibia in 2003. [28] [29] The emergence of Jonah Lomu at the 1995 tournament saw the New Zealander break several records including most overall tries in final stages—15 in the 1995-99 tournaments and most tries in one competition, eight in 1999. [29] [30] Several other records are held by prominent New Zealand players, including: most points in one competition, Grant Fox with 126 in 1987; [31] most points in a match by a player, Simon Culhane with 45 in the record breaking match against Japan in 1995; he also holds the record for most conversions in a match, being 20. [32] That match also saw Marc Ellis set a record for most tries in a match, scoring six.

[33] The record for most appearances by an individual is also held by a New Zealander, Sean Fitzpatrick with 17 from the 1987 to 1995. [33] The most overall points accumulated in the final stages is held by Scottish player Gavin Hastings with 227 from the 1987 to 1995. [33] See also The 1987 Rugby World Cup - 1987 Rugby World Cup | NZHistory, New Zealand history online The 1987 Rugby World Cup 1987 Rugby World Cup Page 1 – Introduction David Kirk kisses the Webb Ellis Cup, 1987 (detail) Although international rugby has been played for well over a century, the Rugby World Cup is a relatively recent phenomenon. The first tournament took place in May and June 1987, with games played in both New Zealand and Australia. The final was held at Eden Park, Auckland, on 20 June, with the home team beating France 29–9 to become the inaugural holders of the Webb Ellis Cup .

In a country where rugby became a surrogate for religion, hosting and then winning the first Rugby World Cup was a big deal. For much of the 20th century the All Blacks vied with South Africa’s Springboks for the unofficial title of the best team in international rugby. Without a world cup to bring the top teams together in a single competition, such claims were difficult to prove. When the All Blacks triumphed in 1987, the Springboks were absent because of the country’s apartheid policy. The All Blacks’ failure to repeat this success at subsequent World Cup tournaments weighed increasingly heavily on several generations of New Zealand fans. Photographs of captain David Kirk holding the Webb Ellis Cup aloft in 1987 became one of our most famous – and frustrating – sporting images. The 2011 tournament was the first since 1987 to be hosted by New Zealand (this time without Australia). The same four teams made the semi-finals - New Zealand, Australia, Wales and France - and once again New Zealand and France squared off in the final at Eden Park. After a much closer game than most people expected, the All Blacks prevailed 8-7 in the lowest-scoring final in the tournament's history.

In 2015 the All Blacks threw off the burden of 1987 entirely when they became both the first team to win back-to-back World Cups and the first to taste victory three times. Richie McCaw is the only captain to have triumphantly hoisted the Webb Ellis Cup twice. This final, at London’s Twickenham, was the highest-scoring so far, with New Zealand beating Australia 34–17. How the first Rugby World Cup came about is less well known. This fascinating story highlights the struggle between the amateur ideal and creeping professionalism, tensions between the British rugby unions and their southern hemisphere counterparts, and international protests over sporting contacts with South Africa. The story begins with a look at the 19th-century origins of international rugby. The 1987 Rugby World Cup Rugby World Cup Rugby World Cup 2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection . Related subjects: Sports events The Rugby World Cup trophy, the Webb Ellis Cup. The Rugby World Cup is the premier international rugby union competition in the world. The event is organized by the sport's governing body, the International Rugby Board (IRB), and is contested by the men's national rugby union teams.

The inaugural tournament was held in 1987, hosted by both Australia and New Zealand , and is now contested every four years. The winners are awarded the Webb Ellis Cup, named after the Rugby School pupil credited with the game's invention. The tournament is one of the largest international sporting competitions in the world. The title of world champion is currently held by England, who won the 2003 tournament held in Australia. The next Rugby World Cup will be hosted in France during September and October of 2007. Format Qualification Qualifying tournaments were introduced for the second tournament, where eight of the 16 places were contested in a 24 nation tournament. The inaugural World Cup in 1987, did not involve any qualifying process; instead, the 16 places were automatically filled by seven eligible International Rugby Football Board (IRFB, now, International Rugby Board) member nations, and the rest by invitation. The current format allows for eight of the 20 available positions to be filled by automatic qualification, as the eight quarter finalists of the previous tournament enter its successor. The remaining 12 positions are filled by continental qualifying tournaments.

Positions are filled by three teams from the Americas, one from Asia , one from Africa , three from Europe and two from Oceania . Another two places are allocated for repechage. The first repechage place is determined by the runner-up from the Africa and Europe qualifying tournament, with that winner then playing the Americas runner-up to determine the place. The second repechage position is determined between the runners-up from the Asia and Oceania qualifiers. Tournament The opening game of the 2003 competition; Argentina and Australia at Telstra Stadium in Sydney. The current model features 20 nations competing over a month in the host nation(s). There are two stages, a group and a knock-out. Nations are divided into four pools of five nations, A through to D. The pool allocation system seeds teams ranked one through to four from the previous tournament, into A through to D pools respectively. The other four automatic entrants——the losing quarter-finalists from the previous tournament are drawn into an individual pool at random. The remaining positions in each pool are filled by the qualifiers. Nations play four pool games, playing their respective pool members once. A nation will gain four points for a win and two points should they draw.

Bonus points can be gained through scoring four tries in a match or by losing by a margin of seven points or fewer. Total points determine overall pool positions. The winner (first position) and runner-up (second position) of each pool enters the knock-out stage. The knock-out stage consists of quarter and semi-finals, and then the final. The winner of each pool is placed against a runner-up of an opposing pool in a quarter-final. The winner of each quarter-final goes on to the semi-finals, where the respective winners proceed to the final. Losers of the semi-finals contest for third (and fourth) place. History Prior to the Rugby World Cup, there had been various competitions that were similar in nature. One of the largest and oldest international rugby union competitions is the Home Nations, first played in 1883 through to 1909 between England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It became the Five Nations in 1910 when France joined, although they were excluded from 1931 to 1939 amid allegations of professionalism. Though the nations' tournament was a European affair, it was one of the few consistent international competitions.

Rugby union was also played at the Summer Olympics, first appearing at the 1900 Paris games and subsequently at London in 1908, Antwerp in 1920, and Paris again in 1924. France won the first gold medal, then Australasia, with the last two being won by the United States. The International Olympic Committee however cancelled rugby union as an Olympic sport. The idea of a Rugby World Cup had been suggested on numerous occasions as far back as the 1950s, though the IRFB made it clear that it did not want its member unions to get involved in anything like a world championship. The idea resurfaced throughout the early 1980s, and was dismissed at a 1983 IRFB meeting. It is thought that the defining moment in the creation of such a tournament came when the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) and the New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU) each independently wrote to the IRFB seeking to conduct a World Cup tournament.

In 1985 the IRFB approved the inaugural cup, which was to be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand during May and June of 1987, though the proposition was met with much opposition, led by the British and Irish delegations. The decisive vote to approve the proposal came from the South African delegates, who voted in favour despite knowing that the international sports boycott on their country's apartheid regime would prevent their team from participating in the tournament. The inaugural tournament was contested in Australia and New Zealand between 16 nations. The All Blacks (New Zealand) become first ever champions, defeating France 29 points to nine. The subsequent 1991 tournament was hosted by England , with matches also being played throughout the rest of Britain, Ireland and France . This tournament also saw the abolition of invitation qualification—with a qualifying tournament being introduced which involved 35 nations. Australia won the second tournament, defeating England, 12 points to six. The 1995 tournament was hosted by South Africa —the nation that originally tipped the vote that saw the first event take place. The tournament was the first that South Africa would actually play in, following the end of the international sports boycott.

The tournament had a fairytale ending, as South Africa were crowned champions over the All Blacks, which concluded with then President Nelson Mandela , wearing a Springbok jersey and matching baseball cap, presenting the trophy to the South Africa's captain Francois Pienaar. The moment is seen as one of the most emotional in the sport's history. Celebrations at Trafalgar Square during a parade after England defeated Australia in the 2003 final. The tournament in 1999 was hosted by Wales with matches also being held throughout the rest of the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. The tournament included a repechage system, alongside specific regional qualifying places, and an increase from 16 to 20 participating nations. Australia claimed their second title, defeating France in the final. The 2003 event was hosted by Australia; although it was originally intended to be held jointly with New Zealand, disagreements between the IRB and the NZRFU over sponsorship, advertising and ticketing saw the competition given in its entirety to Australia. England emerged as champions defeating Australia in extra time. England's win was unique in that it broke the Southern hemisphere's domination of the event.

Such was the celebration of England's victory, that an estimated 750,000 people gathered in central London to greet the team, making the day the largest sporting celebration of its kind ever in the United Kingdom. The 2007 competition will be held in France, with matches also being held in Wales and Scotland. The 2011 tournament was awarded to New Zealand in November 2005, ahead of bids from Japan and South Africa. Trophy The Webb Ellis Cup is the prize presented to winners of the Rugby World Cup, named after William Webb Ellis, who is credited with creating the game of rugby football . The trophy is also referred to as just, The Rugby World Cup. The trophy was chosen in 1987 as an appropriate cup for use in the competition. The words 'International Rugby Board' and 'The Webb Ellis Cup' are engraved on the face of the cup. It stands at 38 centimetres and is silver gilded in gold, and supported by two cast scroll handles, one handle has a head of a satyr, and the other has a head of a nymph. The colloquial name of the trophy in Australia is "Bill"—a reference to William Webb Ellis.

The trophy is currently kept in the Museum of Rugby, London . Selection of hosts Tournaments are voted on by the IRB member nations and is organised by Rugby World Cup Ltd (RWCL). This decides what nation(s) will host the tournament, with the voting procedure managed by a team of independent auditors, and the voting kept secret. All the tournaments thus far have been held in nations in which rugby union is a popular sport, this trend continued when New Zealand was awarded the 2011 event ahead of Japan, a traditionally weaker rugby union nation in comparison to New Zealand. The allocation of a tournament to a host nation is now made five or six years prior to the commencement of the particular event, as New Zealand were awarded the 2011 event in late 2005. The allocation of a host(s) has been a controversial issue, as it has resulted in claims of deals being made between nations to obtain votes. In 2006 some media outlets speculated that the Unión Argentina de Rugby had only voted for New Zealand's bid for 2011 so they would receive regular international competition in return.

Argentina is however, the only one of the ten nations rated as "Tier 1" by the IRB that is not involved in regular competition with other Tier 1 nations. Results Collated briefs from the Rugby World Cup Collated briefs from the Rugby World Cup Share AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — News Monday from the Rugby World Cup, which begins Friday: The All Blacks insist they can overcome their reputation as chokers in the sport's biggest event. New Zealand has been the pre-eminent team in world rugby over the quarter-century of the World Cup's existence but had failed to translate that dominance onto the biggest stage, winning just one World Cup, the inaugural tournament in 1987, which it also hosted. That chink in the All Black armor had prompted much heartache for New Zealand fans and rare opportunities for rivals to question and even mock an otherwise formidable team. "We haven't won many of these tournaments, in case you hadn't noticed," center Conrad Smith joked during a media conference Monday. Smith said in past tournaments New Zealand had made the mistake of relying on year-round good form. This time, he said, the players recognize the unique importance of the tournament and have tailored their preparation.

___ Robbie Deans has headed to his native New Zealand with his Wallabies team, aiming to bring back to Australia the Rugby World Cup while denying his homeland the title it craves. The New Zealand-born Deans, Australia's head coach since 2008, told an official farewell in downtown Sydney on Monday that "we understand it will be a challenge, but we are up for that, in fact we are ready for it." Wallabies skipper James Horwill stressed his team had the ability to win the tournament, but warned they couldn't look beyond their first pool game against Italy on Sunday in Auckland. Australia has won the World Cup twice — in 1991 and 1999 — whereas New Zealand has only won the inaugural tournament in 1987 that it also hosted. ___ Formal welcomes to the Rugby World Cup were extended on Monday to defending champions South Africa, battlers Canada and to men more used to criticism than courtesy, the referees. New Zealand's capital city of Wellington turned on a sparkling spring day for the official welcome of the Springboks. Hundreds of fans lined the way as the South African players walked a short distance along Wellington's waterfront followed at sea by three waka, or war canoes.

High school students performed a haka and the Springboks accepted a traditional challenge before receiving official World Cup caps. Canada's welcome took place at Waitangi in the north of New Zealand, where the 10 World Cup referees and other officials were also formally greeted. ___ Players who receive a red card or accumulate three yellow cards at the Rugby World Cup will face a judicial hearing within 36 hours. The International Rugby Board on Monday detailed the judicial procedures at the tournament which runs for seven weeks from Friday until Oct. 23. The process is faster than that used in most major rugby tournaments due to the shorter gap between matches. Citing commissioners from a neutral country will oversee each game and will be able to cite players themselves, or assess incidents referred to them by the teams. ___ From subtropical Kerikeri in the far north to alpine Queenstown in the south, the Rugby World Cup will embrace small-town New Zealand. New Zealand is, in essence, a nation of small towns; its population is only 4.5 million, 1.3 million of those in its largest city, Auckland.

Strewn across its landscape of rainforests, deserts, white-sand beaches and alpine peaks are a necklace of townships which have become the homesteads of the seventh Rugby World Cup. Instead of housing teams in the large cities, organizers have placed many teams in tiny townships which have embraced their hosting role. Fiji will be based at Ohope Beach, near Whakatane (population 18,000) on the east coast of the North Island. The United States team will be based, for the first part of its stay in New Zealand, at Whanganui on the west coast of the North Island. Kerikeri will host Canada, Japan and Tonga at various stages during pool play; Queenstown will welcome England, Georgia, Ireland and Romania. Georgia will also stay in Masterton, a country town 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Wellington. Russia will be based for a time in Blenheim in the heart of the Marlborough wine-growing region and Namibia will be at Gisborne, a city of 34,000. Romania landed in earthquake-devastated Christchurch before traveling to their first base at Ashburton in Canterbury province.

Reblog RUGBY WORLD CUP RUGBY WORLD CUP Details RUGBY WORLD CUP Ireland booked their quarterfinal place at the World Cup but only after having to withstand a strong challenge from a Sergio Parisse-inspired Italy. After Italy's insipid effort against France and struggle to overcome Canada, most pundits were expecting Ireland to win by a similar margin to the 36-6 victory at the last World Cup. However, the return of captain and number eight Parisse made the Italians a totally different proposition. The Stade Francais star showed his intent from the off by running at the Irish defense and even demonstrated a canny kicking game as the contest went on. Parisse was superbly supported by his back-row colleague Simone Favaro while scrumhalf Edoardo Gori dominated his battle with off-color Murray. The Irish needed a series of vital lineout steals and Henderson's heroics to keep the Italians at bay. Iain Henderson was named man of the match after an outstanding performance at lock. Henderson's carries and ferocious appetite for work around the breakdown helped to make up for some of the shortcomings of the Ireland back row.

Ireland were made to battle for their victory against a resilient Italian team Ireland boss Joe Schmidt: "That game was exactly what we expected. We have been allowed to cruise through the first two games and it was a shock to the system to come against a tier one side that needed to win to stay in the tournament. "I said last week we would take a one-point win, so a seven-point win is good enough. France are another level up - we will have to raise our game again. We will work on that this week and hopefully come up with the goods." Ireland face fellow quarter-finalists France in Sunday's Pool D decider at the Millennium Stadium. On the basis of this display from a virtually full-strength Ireland team, France will fancy their chances of winning in Cardiff. The losers would probably be handed the daunting task of facing New Zealand in the last eight. Ireland have now won 20 of their last 21 games against Italy. Keith Earls scored his eighth Rugby World Cup try, and now stands alone as Ireland's top try scorer in the tournament's history Rugby World Cup History The first Rugby World Cup was held in 1987, hosted by Australia and New Zealand who pushed for the tournament to be approved.

Since the first tournament, six others have been held at four-year intervals. The most recent tournament was held in New Zealand in 2011, and was won by the New Zealand All Blacks. The 2015 tournament is currently being held from the 19th of September 2015 till 30th of October 2015 in England and Wales. International competition prior to the World Cup Apart from regular test matches and touring sides, tournaments that resembled a world cup format – albeit not of its scale, but in terms of international nations competing, are competitions such as the Summer Olympics and the Home Nations Championship/Five Nations Championship. Rugby union was played at the Summer Olympics on four occasions, 1900, 1908, 1920 and 1934 Although these competitions did not involve full national sides, and usually only had three or four participating nations at any individual event. The International Championship/Five Nations has been played since 1883. It is one of the oldest international rugby tournaments, involving only European nations.

Early 1980s In 1982, Neil Durden-Smith suggested that the world cup should be held in the United Kingdom in the mid-1980s. The IRB discussed the proposal in March 1983, but the concept did not go ahead. Another meeting was held in June 1983, where Australia put forth a proposal that would see them host the first event – if it should happen. New Zealand joined the campaign, putting forth their own proposal in March of the next year. The IRB went on to conduct a feasibility study – Australia and New Zealand joined forces to bid for the hosting of an inaugural World Cup. A subsequent IRFB meeting was held in Paris in March 1985. It is known that originally, all four home nations were opposed to the idea, and the most vocal supporters were Australia, New Zealand and France. It is believed that South Africa's decision to vote in favor of the event was the turning point in the voting. South Africa voted in favor of the tournament going ahead, though they knew they would not be competing due to the sports boycott at the time.

South Africa's vote saw England, followed by Wales, change to be in favor as well The first tournament The 1987 Rugby World Cup was hosted by both Australia and New Zealand. 32 matches were played from over a period of 22 May to 20 June. The tournament featured one African nation, three American nations, one Asian nation, seven European nations and four Oceanic nations. One notable omission was the Springboks who were not competing due to the international sports boycott. The IRFB members automatically filled seven places, with invitations being sent out to fill remaining places. In total there were 16 nations in the competition. France played Australia in one of the semi-finals with New Zealand playing Wales in the other. New Zealand became the first ever Rugby World Cup Champions, defeating France 29 points to 9 at Eden Park in Auckland. Millennium Stadium The 1991 Rugby World Cup was hosted by Great Britain, Ireland and France, with the tournament final to be played at the home of English rugby, Twickenham. For the first time, a qualifying tournament replaced the previously used invitation format. The qualifying tournament involved 32 teams.

England qualified for the final by defeating Scotland at Murrayfield, with Australia joining them by defeating New Zealand the day after. Australia won the final, defeating England 12–6. The 1995 Rugby World Cup was hosted by South Africa, and was the first time that all matches would be played in just a single country. It was the first time that South Africa participated in the tournament following the end of their international sports boycott due to the apartheid regime. South Africa won the tournament, defeating New Zealand 15–12 in the final. Joel Stransky kicked a drop-goal in extra time to grab the victory for South Africa. Nelson Mandela, wearing a Springbok jersey and matching cap, famously presented the Webb Ellis Cup to South African captain Francois Pienaar. The tournament also saw the emergence of rugby's first global superstar, All Blacks winger Jonah Lomu. He and Marc Ellis finished the tournament as the top try scorers. The 1999 Rugby World Cup was hosted by Wales with matches played in England, France, Scotland and Ireland.

There were further changes to the rules of automatic qualification for this tournament, where only the top three places from 1995, along with the host nation, automatically qualified. Sixty-five rugby nations participated in qualifying competitions for the 1999 tournament, and the participating nations increased from 16 to 20. France's shock 43–31 semifinal win over the All Blacks is regarded as one of the biggest upsets and also one of the best games in the history of the World Cup. Australia defeated France in the final 35–12. They therefore became the first nation to win the World Cup twice. 2000 – present England celebrates in London The 2003 World Cup was hosted by Australia. It was originally to be co-hosted with New Zealand, but disagreements over scheduling and signage at venues led to Australia going it alone. England won the tournament, defeating Australia in the final 20 points to 17. With 21 seconds left before sudden death England's Jonny Wilkinson landed a drop goal to win the match. England became the first northern hemisphere nation to win a Rugby World Cup.

Upon returning home, the English side was greeted by an estimated 750,000 people at a street parade celebrating their victory. The 2007 World Cup was held in France, with matches also played in Wales and Scotland. The tournament was won by South Africa, who defeated England 15–6 in the final to become World Champions for the second time. Blowouts in scores in pool matches against minnow nations changed into a final series dominated by defense. This tournament was notable for Argentina becoming the first team from outside the Six Nations and Tri-Nations to reach the semifinals. The 2011 tournament was hosted by New Zealand: it saw a repeat of the 1987 World Cup finale standings, as Australia took on Wales in the Bronze final and won 21-18, while New Zealand, by defeating France 8-7 in the final, became the first nation to win on home soil twice. The 2015 tournament is currently being hosted by England. © 2016 The Celtic Times All Blacks | New Zealand rugby team | Britannica.com New Zealand rugby team THIS IS A DIRECTORY PAGE. Britannica does not currently have an article on this topic.

Nehe Milner-Skudder (centre with the ball) of the New Zealand All Blacks attempts to shake off a tackle in the final of the Rugby Union World Cup on October 31, 2015. Milner-Skudder scored one try as the defending champion All Blacks defeated Australia’s Wallabies 34–17 for New Zealand’s record third World Cup title. Kyodo/AP Images Tony Woodcock (right) races ahead of his delighted New Zealand All Blacks teammates to score a try in New Zealand’s 8–7 victory over France in the final of the Rugby Union World Cup on Oct. 23, 2011. Rob Griffith/AP BBC SPORT | Rugby Union | Rugby World Cup | History | 1987: Wales 22-21 Australia Rugby World Cup World Cup third place play-off, 18 June 1987 Rotorua, New Zealand Ever since the opening World Cup, Wales have struggled to shine at the tournament.

Wales 22 Pens: Lynagh (2) DG: Lynagh And in the third-place play-off against Australia in 1987 little was expected of them against an Australian side which had only just been kept out of the final by France. Wales had knocked out England in the quarter-finals but were trounced by New Zealand in the semi-finals. The result failed to dent their morale as they took to the field against the Wallabies in Rotorua. In Robert Jones, Jonathan Davies, Michael Lynagh and David Campese, the contest possessed what were to become legends of the game. Matthew Burke and Peter Grigg both crossed the line for the Wallabies as did Paul Moriarty and Gareth Roberts for Wales. Meanwhile, Lynagh and Paul Thorburn swapped kicks - Lynagh slotting over two penalties, two conversions and drop-goals, which was matched by his opposite number aside from the drop-goal. on the game Thorburn effectively won the battle of the boot when Adrian Hadley ran in a last-ditch try for the Welsh. With his score the Welsh moved to within a conversion of taking the lead, which rested solely on the shoulders of Thorburn.

Remarkably, a tough kick from far out wide sailed over with little difficulty to seal third place. Wales: Paul Thorburn, Adrian Hadley, John Devereux, Mark Ring, Ieuan Evans, Jonathan Davies, Robert Jones; Steven Blackmore, Allan Phillips, Anthony Buchanan, Dick Moriarty, Steve Sutton, Gareth Roberts, Richard Webster, Paul Moriarty Australia: Andrew Leeds, Peter Grigg, Matt Burke, Andrew Slack, David Campese, Michael Lynagh, Brian Smith; Cameron Lillicrap, Tom Lawton, Andy McIntyre, Troy Coker, Steve Cuter, David Codey, Simon Poidevin, Steve Tuynman New Zealand Sports fauna and flora New Zealand Sports Sport has a major role in New Zealand's culture; this is particularly the case with rugby union. Other popular sports include cricket, netball, basketball, lawn bowling, soccer (perhaps surprisingly, the most popular football code in terms of participation in New Zealand) and rugby league.

Also popular are golf, tennis, cycling, field hockey, skiing, snowboarding, softball (current Men's International Softball Federation World Champions, 1996, 2000, 2004) and a variety of water sports, particularly surfing, sailing, whitewater kayaking, surf lifesaving skills and rowing. In the latter, New Zealand enjoyed an extraordinary magic 45 minutes when winning four successive gold medals at the 2005 world championships. International Recognition The country is internationally recognised for performing well on a medals-to-population ratio at Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games. Equestrian sportsmen and sportswomen make their mark in the world, with Mark Todd being chosen international "Horseman of the Century". New Zealand's most famous sportsperson is Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Other internationally famous New Zealand sportspeople include cricket player Sir Richard Hadlee, rugby player Jonah Lomu, sailor Sir Peter Blake and 2005 US Open golf tournament winner Michael Campbell.

The top five sports played in clubs by boys aged 5 to 17: 17% Soccer 7% Skiing Rugby Union Rugby union is closely linked to New Zealand's national identity. The national rugby team, the All Blacks, has the best record of any national team. They hosted and won the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987, and will host the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The haka, a traditional Ma-ori challenge, is traditionally performed by the All Blacks before the start of international matches. Cricket Cricket is regarded as New Zealand's main summer sport, and the New Zealand cricket team (known as 'The Black Caps') usually ranks in the top six teams in the world in both test cricket and the shorter one day forms of the game. Netball Netball is New Zealand's most prominent women's sport, and the New Zealand national team, the Silver Ferns, have been world champions on several occasions. New Zealand is one of the leading nations in world yachting, especially open-water long-distance or round-the-world races.

In inshore yachting, Team New Zealand won the America's Cup regatta in 1995 and successfully defended it in 2000. Links:

Question: Which team won the inaugural tournament of the Rugby World Cup in 1987, which was hosted by both Australia and New Zealand?
Answer: New Zealand