The Rugby World Cup is the premier international Rugby Union contest in the world, first held jointly in Australia and New Zealand in 1987 and now held every four years. The prize is the "William Webb Ellis Trophy" (known in Australia as 'Bill') named after the pupil of Rugby School credited, probably apocryphally, with the game's invention. It is currently held by England.

Tournaments

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 from:1987 till:1991 text:"1st New Zealand 1" color:NZ
 from:1991 till:1995 text:"2nd Australia 1" color:Australia
 from:1995 till:1999 text:"3rd South Africa 1" color:SAfrica
 from:1999 till:2003 text:"4th Australia 2" color:Australia
 from:2003 till:2007 text:"5th England 1" color:England

History

Rugby World Cup was originally thought up in late 1983, when the Australian Rugby Union and the New Zealand Rugby Football Union each independently wrote to the International Rugby Board seeking to conduct a World Cup tournament.

In 1985 the IRB approved for the inaugural Rugby World Cup to be jointly staged in Australia and New Zealand during May and June of 1987.

Nominally hosted by England and Wales, respectively, the 1991 and 1999 tournaments had games spread over the UK, Ireland and France.

The 1995 Cup, hosted and won by South Africa, will probably be most remembered for two moments—the emergence of Jonah Lomu as a rugby superstar, and the trophy presentation. In one of the most emotional moments in sports history, President Nelson Mandela wore a Springbok jersey and matching baseball cap when presenting the trophy to the team's Afrikaner captain Francois Pienaar. Mandela's jersey had Pienaar's number 6 on the back. The presentation was widely seen as a sign of reconciliation between South Africa's black and white communities.

The 2003 Cup was intended to be held jointly by Australia and New Zealand, but disagreements between the International Rugby Board and the NZ Union, over sponsorship, advertising and ticketing, saw the competition relocated to Australia.

The 2007 competition will be held in France.

See also

• 2007 Rugby Union World Cup
• 2003 Rugby Union World Cup
• 1999 Rugby Union World Cup
• 1995 Rugby Union World Cup
• 1991 Rugby Union World Cup
• 1987 Rugby Union World Cup
• List of International Rugby Union Teams
• Rugby League World Cup

External link

• 2007 Rugby World Cup website (from the IRB)