History of the Rugby World Cup facts for kids
The Rugby Union World Cup is a huge international rugby tournament. The first one happened in 1987. Australia and New Zealand worked hard to make it happen, and they even hosted that first event! Since then, there's been a World Cup every four years.
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Rugby Before the World Cup
Before the Rugby World Cup started, there were other big rugby competitions. For example, rugby was played at the Summer Olympics four times (in 1900, 1908, 1920, and 1924). These Olympic tournaments were smaller, usually with only a few countries playing.
Another very old tournament is the Home Nations Championship/Five Nations Championship, which started in 1883. It's still played today as the Six Nations Championship. This tournament only involves European countries.
Early Ideas for a World Cup
People started talking about a rugby World Cup long before it actually happened. One of the first people to suggest it was Harold Tolhurst from Australia in the late 1950s.
Later, in 1968, the International Rugby Board (the main group that runs rugby) wasn't keen on the idea. But the idea kept popping up! In 1979, Bill McLaughlin, who was in charge of Australian Rugby, suggested a World Cup for 1988. This would have been a great way to celebrate Australia's 200th birthday!
Making the World Cup Happen
In the early 1980s, the idea really started to pick up speed. In 1982, Neil Durden-Smith suggested holding a World Cup in the United Kingdom. The International Rugby Board (IRB) talked about it in 1983, but nothing happened right away.
Then, Australia and New Zealand teamed up. They both really wanted to host the first World Cup. They worked together to convince the IRB.
In March 1985, a big meeting happened in Paris. At first, many of the traditional rugby nations, like England and Wales, were against the idea. But Australia, New Zealand, and France were strong supporters. A big moment came when South Africa voted yes. Even though they knew they couldn't play because of a worldwide sports boycott at the time, their vote helped change minds. After South Africa voted yes, England and then Wales also agreed to the World Cup!
The First Tournament (1987)
The very first 1987 Rugby World Cup was held in Australia and New Zealand. It ran from May 22 to June 20, with 32 matches played. Sixteen nations took part. A famous team, the Springboks from South Africa, couldn't play due to the sports boycott.
The IRFB invited teams to fill most of the spots. In the end, New Zealand became the first-ever Rugby World Cup champions! They beat France 29-9 in the final at Eden Park in Auckland.
The 1990s World Cups
1991 Rugby World Cup
The 1991 Rugby World Cup was hosted by Great Britain, Ireland, and France. The final was played at Twickenham, the home of English rugby. For the first time, teams had to qualify for the tournament instead of just being invited. Thirty-two teams competed in the qualifiers. Australia won the final, beating England 12–6. This made them the first team to win the cup away from their home country.
1995 Rugby World Cup
The 1995 Rugby World Cup was special because it was hosted by South Africa. This was the first time all matches were played in just one country. It was also the first time South Africa could play in the tournament after the end of the sports boycott. South Africa went on to win the tournament, beating New Zealand 15–12 in a thrilling final. Joel Stransky kicked a drop-goal in extra time to win it for South Africa.
A famous moment from this tournament was when Nelson Mandela, wearing a Springbok jersey, gave the Webb Ellis Cup to South African captain Francois Pienaar. This World Cup also saw the rise of Jonah Lomu, a New Zealand winger who became rugby's first global superstar!
1999 Rugby World Cup
The 1999 Rugby World Cup was hosted by Wales, with games also played in England, France, Scotland, and Ireland. More teams could play in this tournament, going from 16 to 20. Sixty-five nations tried to qualify!
One of the biggest upsets in World Cup history happened when France surprisingly beat New Zealand 43–31 in the semi-finals. Australia then defeated France 35–12 in the final. This made Australia the first nation to win the World Cup twice!
World Cups from 2000 to Today
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was hosted by Australia. It was originally planned to be co-hosted with New Zealand, but disagreements meant Australia hosted it alone. England won the tournament, beating Australia 20-17 in the final. With only 21 seconds left, England's Jonny Wilkinson kicked a drop goal to win the match! England became the first team from the northern hemisphere (like Europe) to win a Rugby World Cup. When they returned home, about 750,000 people celebrated their victory in London!
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was held in France, with some matches in Wales and Scotland. South Africa won the tournament, beating England 15–6 in the final. This was South Africa's second World Cup win. This tournament was special because Argentina became the first team from outside the main rugby powers (like the Six Nations or Tri-Nations) to reach the semi-finals. They finished third! Also, for the first time, both Australia and New Zealand didn't make it past the quarter-finals.
2011 Rugby World Cup
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was hosted by New Zealand. It was a bit like the first World Cup! New Zealand beat France 8–7 in the final, becoming the first nation to win the cup on home soil twice. Interestingly, France lost twice in the group stages but still managed to reach the final!
2015 Rugby World Cup
The 2015 Rugby World Cup was hosted by England. New Zealand won the tournament, beating Australia 34–17. This made New Zealand the first nation to win the World Cup three times and the first to win it two times in a row! It was also their first win away from home.
This tournament had a very tough "Pool of Death" with Australia, England, and Wales all fighting for a spot in the quarter-finals. England became the second host nation not to get out of the group stages. This World Cup is also remembered for one of the biggest upsets ever: Japan beat South Africa 34-32 in the group stages!
2019 Rugby World Cup
The 2019 Rugby World Cup was hosted in Japan. South Africa won the tournament, defeating England in the final. Some cool things happened in this tournament: Uruguay got their first World Cup win since 2003, beating Fiji. Japan made history by becoming the first Asian team to reach the quarter-finals and the first "Tier 2" nation to win their group, with famous wins over Ireland and Scotland. New Zealand lost their first World Cup game since 2007 when England beat them in the semi-finals.
2023 Rugby World Cup
France hosted the 2023 Rugby World Cup. South Africa won again, beating New Zealand 12–11 in the final. This made South Africa the second nation to win the cup two times in a row and the first to win it four times! It was also special because they won the cup even after losing a match in the group stage.
World Cup Winners and Hosts
| Year | Host | Final Venue | Teams | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Australia & New Zealand | Eden Park | 16 |  New Zealand |
 France |
| 1991 | England, France, Ireland, Scotland, Wales | Twickenham | 16 |  Australia |
 England |
| 1995 | South Africa | Ellis Park | 16 |  South Africa |
New Zealand |
| 1999 | Wales | Millennium Stadium | 20 | Australia |
France |
| 2003 | Australia | Telstra Stadium | 20 | England |
Australia |
| 2007 | France | Stade de France | 20 | South Africa |
England |
| 2011 | New Zealand | Eden Park | 20 | New Zealand |
France |
| 2015 | England | Twickenham | 20 | New Zealand |
Australia |
| 2019 | Japan | Yokohoma Stadium | 20 |  South Africa |
 England |
| 2023 | France | Stade de France | 20 | South Africa |
New Zealand |
Team Achievements
Only New Zealand (in 2015) and South Africa (in 2023) have won the World Cup two times in a row. The worst performance by a defending champion was when Australia lost in the quarter-finals in 1995, and South Africa lost in the quarter-finals in 2011.
Some teams have met many times in the knockout stages. For example, England has knocked out Australia four times, including the 2003 final. On the other hand, South Africa has knocked out England four times, including the 2007 and 2019 finals. France has been knocked out three times by both New Zealand and England.
Did you know that Italy has played in all 9 World Cups but has never made it past the group stages?
All-Time Qualified Teams
This table shows all the teams that have ever played in the Rugby World Cup.
| Team | 1987 | 1991 | 1995 | 1999 | 2003 | 2007 | 2011 | 2015 | 2019 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand |
⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ |
| Australia |
⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ |
| England |
⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ |
| France |
⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ |
 Scotland |
⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ |
 Ireland |
⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ |
 Wales |
⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ |
 Japan |
⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ |
 Italy |
⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ |
 Argentina |
⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ |
 Samoa |
⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | |
 Fiji |
⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | |
 Tonga |
⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | |
| South Africa |
⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ||
 Namibia |
⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | |||
 Georgia |
⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ||||
 Uruguay |
⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | |||||
 Romania |
⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | |
 Portugal |
⏺ | ⏺ | ||||||||
 Chile |
⏺ | |||||||||
 Canada |
⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | |
 United States |
⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ⏺ | ||
 Russia |
⏺ | ⏺ | ||||||||
 Spain |
⏺ | |||||||||
 Ivory Coast |
⏺ | |||||||||
 Zimbabwe |
⏺ | ⏺ |
See also
In Spanish: Historia de la Copa Mundial de Rugby para niños
- History of rugby union
- National team appearances in the Rugby World Cup
