| Afrikaans: Rugbywêreldbeker 1995 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Tournament details | |
| Host nation |  South Africa |
| Dates | 25 May – 24 June (31 days) |
| No. of nations | 16 (52 qualifying) |
| Final positions | |
Champions  | South Africa (1st title) |
Runner-up  |  New Zealand |
Third place  |  France |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 32 |
| Attendance | 938,486 (29,328 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Thierry Lacroix (112) |
| Most tries | Jonah Lomu Marc Ellis (7 tries each) |
← 1991 1999 → | |
The 1995 Rugby World Cup (Afrikaans: Rugbywêreldbeker 1995), was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country.
The World Cup was the first major sporting event to take place in South Africa following the end of apartheid. It was also the first World Cup in which South Africa was allowed to compete; the International Rugby Football Board (IRFB, now World Rugby) had only readmitted South Africa to international rugby in 1992, following negotiations to end apartheid. The World Cup was also the last major event of rugby union's amateur era; two months after the tournament, the IRFB opened the sport to professionalism.
In the final, held at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on 24 June, South Africa defeated New Zealand 15–12, with Joel Stransky scoring a drop goal in extra time to win the match. Following South Africa's victory, Nelson Mandela, the President of South Africa, wearing a Springboks rugby shirt and cap, presented the Webb Ellis Cup to the South African captain François Pienaar.