 New Zealand national rugby union team celebrate their victory in the 2011 Rugby World Cup final | |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Instituted | 1987 |
| Number of teams | 20 |
| Country | International (World Rugby) |
| Holders |  South Africa (2023) |
| Most titles | South Africa (4 titles) |
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition established in 1987. It is contested by the men's national teams of the member unions of the sport's governing body, World Rugby, and takes place every four years. The winners of the first final were New Zealand, who beat France. South Africa are the latest winners, having won the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
The Rugby World Cup final is the last match of the competition. The winning team is declared world champion and receives the Webb Ellis Cup.[1] If the score is a draw after 80 minutes of regular play, an additional 20-minute period of play, called extra time, is added. If the score remains tied, an additional 10 minutes of sudden-death extra time are played, with the first team to score points immediately declared the winner. If no team is able to break the tie during extra time, the winner is ultimately decided by a penalty shootout.[2] Two finals have gone to extra time: South Africa's victory against New Zealand in the 1995 final, and England's triumph against Australia in the 2003 final.[3]
Only five nations have ever made it into a Rugby World Cup final. South Africa is the most successful team in the history of the tournament, with four wins, followed by New Zealand with three wins. New Zealand and South Africa are the only teams to have won consecutive tournaments, with New Zealand winning in 2011 and 2015, and South Africa winning in 2019 and 2023, Springboks currently being the only team to have won every World cup final they were in. Australia have won the competition twice, while England have one win; they are the only nation from the Northern Hemisphere to have won the competition.[4] France are the only team to appear in a final without ever winning one, losing all three finals they have contested.[5] Note that South Africa, due to international sanctions, was not permitted to play in the 1987 and 1991 tournaments.
- ^ "A guide to the Webb Ellis Cup". World Rugby. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
- ^ "Tournament Rules". Rugby World Cup. Archived from the original on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
- ^ Woolford, Anthony (2019-09-09). "The tragedy of South Africa's 1995 World Cup-winning team". walesonline. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
- ^ Linden, Julian (19 October 2015). "Southern hemisphere completes sweep of Rugby World Cup quarterfinals". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
- ^ Fordyce, Tom (23 October 2011). "New Zealand 8–7 France". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 December 2015.