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Records and statistics of the Rugby World Cup

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Main article: Rugby World Cup

Rugby World Cup records have been accumulating since the first Rugby World Cup tournament was held in 1987.

Team records

[edit]

Titles

[edit]
Most titles won
Titles Team Tournaments
4  South Africa 1995, 2007, 2019, 2023
3  New Zealand 1987, 2011, 2015
2  Australia 1991, 1999
1  England 2003

Title win rate

[edit]
Win rate
Win rate Team
−50%  South Africa
−30%  New Zealand
−20%  Australia
−10%  England

Most semi-finals

[edit]
Most semi-finals
App Team Tournaments
9  New Zealand 1987, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2011, 2015, 2019, 2023
6  Australia 1987, 1991, 1999, 2003, 2011, 2015
 England 1991, 1995, 2003, 2007, 2019, 2023
 France 1987, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011
 South Africa 1995, 1999, 2007, 2015, 2019, 2023

Most quarter-finals

[edit]
Most quarter-finals
App Team Tournaments
10  New Zealand 1987, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, 2023
 France 1987, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, 2023
9  Australia 1987, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019
 England 1987, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2019, 2023
8  Ireland 1987, 1991, 1995, 2003, 2011, 2015, 2019, 2023
 South Africa 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, 2023

Most appearances

[edit]
Most appearances
App Team(s)
10  Argentina,  Australia,  England,  France,  Ireland,  Italy,  Japan,  New Zealand,  Scotland,  Wales
9  Canada,  Fiji,  Romania,  Samoa,  Tonga
8  South Africa,  United States
7  Namibia
6  Georgia

Points

[edit]
Most overall log points by a team[1]
Log Points Team Pld W D L PF PA PD W% TB LB
238  New Zealand 64 54 1 9 2,888 842 +2,046 84.38 20 0
186  South Africa 50 42 0 8 1,720 641 +1,079 84.00 16 2
156  Australia 57 44 0 13 1,887 845 +1,042 77.19 15 2
153  England 58 42 1 15 1,790 822 +968 72.41 12 1
147  France 58 40 2 16 1,823 1,027 +796 68.97 13 3

Last updated: 28 October 2023

Most points by a team in a single match[2]
Points Team Opponent Score Date
145  New Zealand  Japan 145–17 4 June 1995
142  Australia  Namibia 142–0 24 October 2003
111  England  Uruguay 111–13 2 November 2003
108  New Zealand  Portugal 108–13 15 September 2007
101  New Zealand  Italy 101–3 14 October 1999
 England  Tonga 101–10 15 October 1999

Margins

[edit]
Biggest winning margins[3]
Margin Team Opponent Score Date
142  Australia  Namibia 142–0 24 October 2003
128  New Zealand  Japan 145–17 4 June 1995
98  New Zealand  Italy 101–3 14 October 1999
 England  Uruguay 111–13 2 November 2003
96  France  Namibia 96–0 21 September 2023

Tries

[edit]
Most tries by a team in a single match[4]
Tries Team Opponent Score Date
22  Australia  Namibia 142–0 24 October 2003
21  New Zealand  Japan 145–17 4 June 1995
17  England  Uruguay 111–13 2 November 2003
16  New Zealand  Portugal 108–13 15 September 2007
14  New Zealand  Italy 101–3 14 October 1999
 France  Namibia 96–0 21 September 2023
 New Zealand  Italy 96–17 29 September 2023

Player records

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Points

[edit]
Jonny Wilkinson holds the record for the most points scored (277), most penalties (58) & most drop goals (14) in Rugby World Cups.
Most overall points[5]
Points Name Team App. Tries Con. Pen. Drop Tournaments
277 Jonny Wilkinson  England 19 1 28 58 14 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011
227 Gavin Hastings  Scotland 13 9 39 36 0 1987, 1991, 1995
195 Handré Pollard  South Africa 17 0 24 46 3 2015, 2019, 2023
Michael Lynagh  Australia 15 4 36 33 2 1987, 1991, 1995
191 Dan Carter  New Zealand 15 3 58 17 3 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015
Key: App = Appearances. Con = conversions. Pen = penalties. Drop = drop goals.
Most points in one tournament[6]
Points Name Team Tournament
126 Grant Fox  New Zealand 1987
113 Jonny Wilkinson  England 2003
112 Thierry Lacroix  France 1995
105 Percy Montgomery  South Africa 2007
104 Gavin Hastings  Scotland 1995
Most points in a match by a player[7]
Points Name Team Opponent Date
45 Simon Culhane  New Zealand  Japan 4 June 1995
44 Gavin Hastings  Scotland  Ivory Coast 26 May 1995
42 Mat Rogers  Australia  Namibia 25 October 2003
36 Tony Brown  New Zealand  Italy 14 October 1999
Paul Grayson  England  Tonga 15 October 1999

Tries

[edit]
Habana Bryan
Jonah Lomu
Bryan Habana & Jonah Lomu share the record for the most tries (15) in Rugby World Cups, and share the record for most tries in a single World Cup tournament (8) with Julian Savea (below), and Will Jordan
Julian Savea scored a joint record eight tries in New Zealand's progress to the 2015 final, including two hat-tricks
Most overall tries[8]
Tries Name Team Tournaments
15 Jonah Lomu  New Zealand 1995–1999
Bryan Habana  South Africa 2007–2015
14 Drew Mitchell  Australia 2007–2015
13 Doug Howlett  New Zealand 2003–2007
12 Adam Ashley-Cooper  Australia 2007–2019
Most tries in one tournament[9]
Tries Name Team Tournament
8 Jonah Lomu  New Zealand 1999
Bryan Habana  South Africa 2007
Julian Savea  New Zealand 2015
Will Jordan  New Zealand 2023
7 Marc Ellis  New Zealand 1995
Jonah Lomu  New Zealand 1995
Doug Howlett  New Zealand 2003
Mils Muliaina  New Zealand 2003
Drew Mitchell  Australia 2007
Josh Adams  Wales 2019
Most tries in a match by a player[10]
Tries Name Team Opponent Date
6 Marc Ellis  New Zealand  Japan 4 June 1995
5 Chris Latham  Australia  Namibia 25 October 2003
Josh Lewsey  England  Uruguay 2 November 2003
Henry Arundell  England  Chile 23 September 2023
4 John Gallagher  New Zealand  Fiji 27 May 1987
Craig Green  New Zealand  Fiji 27 May 1987
Ieuan Evans  Wales  Canada 3 June 1987
Brian Robinson  Ireland  Zimbabwe 6 October 1991
Gavin Hastings  Scotland  Ivory Coast 26 May 1995
Chester Williams  South Africa  Samoa 10 June 1995
Jonah Lomu  New Zealand  England 18 June 1995
Keith Wood  Ireland  United States 2 October 1999
Mils Muliaina  New Zealand  Canada 17 October 2003
Bryan Habana  South Africa  Samoa 9 September 2007
Vereniki Goneva  Fiji  Namibia 10 September 2011
Zac Guildford  New Zealand  Canada 2 October 2011
Darcy Graham  Scotland  Romania 30 September 2023

Youngest try scorer in a World Cup game

Oldest try scorer in a World Cup game

Conversions

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Dan Carter holds the record for the most conversions in Rugby World Cups.
Most overall conversions[13][14]
Con. Name Team Tournaments
58 Dan Carter  New Zealand 2003–2015
39 Gavin Hastings  Scotland 1987–1995
38 Richie Mo'unga  New Zealand 2019–2023
37 Grant Fox  New Zealand 1987–1991
36 Michael Lynagh  Australia 1987–1995
Most conversions in one tournament[15]
Con. Name Team Tournament
30 Grant Fox  New Zealand 1987
23 Dan Carter  New Zealand 2015
21 Thomas Ramos  France 2023
20 Michael Lynagh  Australia 1987
Simon Culhane  New Zealand 1995
Leon MacDonald  New Zealand 2003
Nick Evans  New Zealand 2007
Richie Mo'unga  New Zealand 2019
Most conversions in a match by a player[16]
Con. Name Team Opponent Date
20 Simon Culhane  New Zealand  Japan 4 June 1995
16 Mat Rogers  Australia  Namibia 25 October 2003
14 Nick Evans  New Zealand  Portugal 15 September 2007
12 Paul Grayson  England  Tonga 15 October 1999
Leon MacDonald  New Zealand  Tonga 24 October 2003
Thomas Ramos  France  Namibia 21 September 2023

Penalty goals

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Scotland's Gavin Hastings was the first player to kick eight penalties in a Rugby World Cup match.
Most overall penalties[17][18]
Pen. Name Team Tournaments
58 Jonny Wilkinson  England 1999–2011
46 Handré Pollard  South Africa 2015–2023
36 Gavin Hastings  Scotland 1987–1995
35 Gonzalo Quesada  Argentina 1999–2003
33 Michael Lynagh  Australia 1987–1995
Andrew Mehrtens  New Zealand 1995–1999
Most penalties in one tournament[19]
Pen. Name Team Tournament
31 Gonzalo Quesada  Argentina 1999
26 Thierry Lacroix  France 1995
23 Jonny Wilkinson  England 2003
Handré Pollard  South Africa 2015
21 Grant Fox  New Zealand 1987
Elton Flatley  Australia 2003
Most penalties in a match by a player[20]
Pen. Name Team Opponent Date
8 Gavin Hastings   Scotland  Tonga 30 May 1995
Thierry Lacroix  France  Ireland 10 June 1995
Gonzalo Quesada  Argentina  Samoa 10 October 1999
Matt Burke  Australia  South Africa 30 October 1999
7 Gonzalo Quesada  Argentina  Japan 16 October 1999
Jonny Wilkinson  England  Fiji 20 October 1999
David Humphreys  Ireland  Argentina 20 October 1999
Gonzalo Quesada  Argentina  Ireland 20 October 1999
Matt Burke  Australia  France 6 November 1999
Piri Weepu  New Zealand  Argentina 9 October 2011
Dan Biggar  Wales  England 26 September 2015

Drop goals

[edit]
Most overall drop goals[21][22]
Drop Name Team Tournaments
14 Jonny Wilkinson  England 1999–2011
6 Jannie de Beer  South Africa 1999
5 Rob Andrew  England 1987–1995
Gareth Rees  Canada 1987–1999
4 Juan Martín Hernández  Argentina 2003–2015
Most drop goals in one tournament[23]
Drop Name Team Tournament
8 Jonny Wilkinson  England 2003
6 Jannie de Beer  South Africa 1999
5 Jonny Wilkinson  England 2007
4 Juan Martín Hernández  Argentina 2007
3 Jonathan Davies  Wales 1987
Rob Andrew  England 1995
Andrew Mehrtens  New Zealand 1995
Joel Stransky  South Africa 1995
Gregor Townsend  Scotland 1999
Theuns Kotzé  Namibia 2011
Dan Parks  Scotland 2011
George Ford  England 2023
Most drop goals in a match by a player[24]
Drop Name Team Opponent Date
5 Jannie de Beer  South Africa  England 24 October 1999
3 Juan Martín Hernández  Argentina  Ireland 30 September 2007
George Ford  England  Argentina 9 September 2023
Theuns Kotzé  Namibia  Fiji 10 September 2011
Jonny Wilkinson  England  France 16 November 2003

Appearance statistics

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Most appearances, matches[25][26]
App. Name Team Tournaments
26 Sam Whitelock  New Zealand 2011–2023
22 Agustin Creevy  Argentina 2011–2023
Jason Leonard  England 1991–2003
Richie McCaw  New Zealand 2003–2015
21 Alun Wyn Jones  Wales 2007–2019
James Slipper  Australia 2011–2023
Most appearances, tournaments
App. Name Team Tournaments
5 Brian Lima  Samoa 1991–2007
Mauro Bergamasco  Italy 1999–2015
Sergio Parisse  Italy 2003–2019
4 Gareth Rees  Canada 1987–1999
Pedro Sporleder  Argentina 1991–2003
Al Charron  Canada 1991–2003
Jason Leonard  England 1991–2003
Fabien Galthié  France 1991–2003
Carlo Checchinato  Italy 1991–2003
George Gregan  Australia 1995–2007
Mike James  Canada 1995–2007
Rod Snow  Canada 1995–2007
Mike Catt  England 1995–2007
Alessandro Troncon  Italy 1995–2007
Gareth Thomas  Wales 1995–2007
Romeo Gontineac  Romania 1995–2007
Felipe Contepomi  Argentina 1999–2011
Mario Ledesma  Argentina 1999–2011
Martín Scelzo  Argentina 1999–2011
Jonny Wilkinson  England 1999–2011
Nicky Little  Fiji 1999–2011
Brian O'Driscoll  Ireland 1999–2011
Chris Paterson  Scotland 1999–2011
Stephen Jones  Wales 1999–2011
James Pritchard  Canada 2003–2015
Jamie Cudmore  Canada 2003–2015
Giorgi Chkhaidze  Georgia 2003–2015
Merab Kvirikashvili  Georgia 2003–2015
Paul O'Connell  Ireland 2003–2015
Andrea Masi  Italy 2003–2015
Martin Castrogiovanni  Italy 2003–2015
Dan Carter  New Zealand 2003–2015
Keven Mealamu  New Zealand 2003–2015
Richie McCaw  New Zealand 2003–2015
Dănuț Dumbravă  Romania 2003–2015
Ovidiu Tonița  Romania 2003–2015
Paulică Ion  Romania 2003–2015
Schalk Burger  South Africa 2003–2015
Victor Matfield  South Africa 2003–2015
Gethin Jenkins  Wales 2003–2015
Juan Manuel Leguizamón  Argentina 2007–2019
Adam Ashley-Cooper  Australia 2007–2019
D. T. H. van der Merwe  Canada 2007–2019
Davit Kacharava  Georgia 2007–2019
Mamuka Gorgodze  Georgia 2007–2019
Rory Best  Ireland 2007–2019
Alessandro Zanni  Italy 2007–2019
Luke Thompson  Japan 2007–2019
Eugene Jantjies  Namibia 2007–2019
Alun-Wyn Jones  Wales 2007–2019
Agustin Creevy  Argentina 2011–2023
Nicolas Sanchez  Argentina 2011–2023
James Slipper  Australia 2011–2023
Dan Cole  England 2011–2023
Courtney Lawes  England 2011–2023
Ben Youngs  England 2011–2023
Lasha Khmaladze  Georgia 2011–2023
Alexander Todua  Georgia 2011–2023
Keith Earls  Ireland 2011–2023
Conor Murray  Ireland 2011–2023
Johnny Sexton  Ireland 2011–2023
Shota Horie  Japan 2011–2023
Michael Leitch  Japan 2011–2023
PJ van Lill  Namibia 2011–2023
Sam Whitelock  New Zealand 2011–2023
George North  Wales 2011–2023
Most winning appearances[27]
App. Name Team Tournaments
23 Sam Whitelock  New Zealand 2011–2023
20 Richie McCaw  New Zealand 2003–2015
19 Keven Mealamu  New Zealand 2003–2015
18 Sonny Bill Williams  New Zealand 2011–2019
17 François Steyn  South Africa 2007, 2011, 2019
Most losing appearances[28]
App. Name Team Tournaments
14 Eugene Jantjies  Namibia 2007–2019
12 PJ van Lill  Namibia 2011–2023
Ovidiu Tonița  Romania 2003–2015
D.T.H. van der Merwe  Canada 2007–2019
11 Jacques Burger  Namibia 2007–2015
Jamie Cudmore  Canada 2003–2015
Tinus du Plessis  Namibia 2007–2015
Romeo Gontineac  Romania 1995–2007
Hugo Horn  Namibia 1999–2011
Merab Kvirikashvili  Georgia 2003–2015
Johnny Redelinghuys  Namibia 2007–2015
Aranos Coetzee  Namibia 2015–2023

Oldest player to appear in a World Cup match

Oldest player to appear in a World Cup final

Oldest player to win a World Cup final

Youngest player to appear in a World Cup match

Youngest player to appear in a World Cup final

Youngest player to win a World Cup final

By tournament

[edit]
Year Top points scorers Top try scorers Team records
1987

126* – Grant Fox ( New Zealand)
082 – Michael Lynagh ( Australia)
062 – Gavin Hastings ( Scotland)

6 – Craig Green ( New Zealand)
6 – John Kirwan ( New Zealand)

Most points in a match 74  New Zealand (74–13 v Fiji)
Biggest winning margin 64  New Zealand (70–6 v Italy)
Most tries in a match 13  France (70–12 v Zimbabwe)
1991

68 – Ralph Keyes ( Ireland)
66 – Michael Lynagh ( Australia)
61 – Gavin Hastings ( Scotland)

6 – David Campese ( Australia)
6 – Jean-Baptiste Lafond ( France)

Most points in a match 55  Ireland (55–11 v Zimbabwe)
Biggest winning margin 44  Ireland (55–11 v Zimbabwe)
 Japan (52–8 v Zimbabwe)
Most tries in a match 9  Japan (52–8 v Zimbabwe)
1995

112 – Thierry Lacroix ( France)
104 – Gavin Hastings ( Scotland)
084 – Andrew Mehrtens ( New Zealand)

7 – Jonah Lomu ( New Zealand)
7 – Marc Ellis ( New Zealand)

Most points in a match 145*  New Zealand (145–17 v Japan)
Biggest winning margin 128
Most tries in a match 21
1999

102 – Gonzalo Quesada ( Argentina)
101 – Matt Burke ( Australia)
097 – Jannie de Beer ( South Africa)

8* – Jonah Lomu ( New Zealand) Most points in a match 101  England (101–10 v Tonga)
 New Zealand (101–3 v Italy)
Biggest winning margin 98  New Zealand (101–3 v Italy)
Most tries in a match 14
2003

113 – Jonny Wilkinson ( England)
103 – Frédéric Michalak ( France)
100 – Elton Flatley ( Australia)

7 – Doug Howlett ( New Zealand)
7 – Mils Muliaina ( New Zealand)

Most points in a match 142  Australia (142–0 v Namibia)
Biggest winning margin 142*
Most tries in a match 22*
2007

105 – Percy Montgomery ( South Africa)
091 – Felipe Contepomi ( Argentina)
067 – Jonny Wilkinson ( England)

8* – Bryan Habana ( South Africa) Most points in a match 108  New Zealand (108–13 v Portugal)
Biggest winning margin 95
Most tries in a match 16
2011

62 – Morné Steyn ( South Africa)
52 – James O'Connor ( Australia)
45 – Kurt Morath ( Tonga)

6 – Chris Ashton ( England)
6 – Vincent Clerc ( France)

Most points in a match 87  South Africa (87–0 v Namibia)
Biggest winning margin 87
Most tries in a match 12  South Africa (87–0 v Namibia)
 Wales (81–7 v Namibia)
 New Zealand (79–15 v Canada)
2015

97 – Nicolás Sánchez ( Argentina)
93 – Handré Pollard ( South Africa)
82 – Bernard Foley ( Australia)

8* – Julian Savea ( New Zealand) Most points in a match 65  Australia (65–3 v Uruguay)
Biggest winning margin 64  South Africa (64–0 v United States)
Most tries in a match 10
2019

69 – Handré Pollard ( South Africa)
58 – Owen Farrell ( England)
54 – Richie Mo'unga ( New Zealand)

 7 – Josh Adams ( Wales) Most points in a match 71  New Zealand (71–9 v Namibia)
Biggest winning margin 63  New Zealand (63–0 v Canada)
Most tries in a match 11  New Zealand (71–9 v Namibia)
2023

75 – Owen Farrell ( England)
74 – Thomas Ramos ( France)
67 – Emiliano Boffelli ( Argentina)

8* – Will Jordan ( New Zealand)

Most points in a match 96  France (96–0 v Namibia)
 New Zealand (96–17 v Italy)
Biggest winning margin 96  France (96–0 v Namibia)
Most tries in a match 14  France (96–0 v Namibia)
 New Zealand (96–17 v Italy)

Note: * denotes an all-time record

Miscellaneous

[edit]

Winning coaches and captains

[edit]

A foreign coach has never managed a World Cup-winning team.

Year Host(s) Champion Winning coach Winning captain
1987  Australia
 New Zealand 		 New Zealand New Zealand Brian Lochore New Zealand David Kirk
1991  England
 France
 Ireland
 Scotland
 Wales 		 Australia Australia Bob Dwyer Australia Nick Farr-Jones
1995  South Africa  South Africa South Africa Kitch Christie South Africa Francois Pienaar
1999  Wales
 England
 France
 Ireland
 Scotland 		 Australia Australia Rod MacQueen Australia John Eales
2003  Australia  England England Clive Woodward England Martin Johnson
2007  France
 Scotland
 Wales 		 South Africa South Africa Jake White South Africa John Smit
2011  New Zealand  New Zealand New Zealand Graham Henry New Zealand Richie McCaw
2015  England
 Wales 		 New Zealand New Zealand Steve Hansen New Zealand Richie McCaw
2019  Japan  South Africa South Africa Rassie Erasmus South Africa Siya Kolisi
2023  France  South Africa South Africa Jacques Nienaber South Africa Siya Kolisi

Discipline

[edit]
Further information: List of Rugby World Cup red cards
Team Red Cards Tournaments
 Canada 4 1995, 1995, 1999, 2019
 Samoa 4 1991, 2011, 2019, 2023
 Tonga 4 1995, 1999, 2007, 2023
 Namibia 3 2007, 2023, 2023
 Argentina 2 1991, 2019
 New Zealand 2 2023, 2023
 South Africa 2 1995, 1999
 Uruguay 2 2015, 2019
 Wales 2 1987, 2011

Draws

[edit]
Team Score Opponent Date
 France 20–20  Scotland 23 May 1987
 Canada 12–12  Japan 12 September 2007
 Canada 23–23  Japan 27 September 2011
 New Zealand 0–0(1)  Italy 12 October 2019
 England 0–0(1)  France 12 October 2019
 Namibia 0–0(1)  Canada 13 October 2019
 Georgia 18–18  Portugal 23 September 2023
  • 1 During the 2019 tournament, Typhoon Hagibis caused the matches New Zealand v Italy, England v France and Namibia v Canada to be cancelled and recorded as 0–0 draws.

Nil points

[edit]
Team Score Opponent Date
 Ivory Coast 0–89  Scotland 26 May 1995
 Canada 0–20  South Africa 3 June 1995
 Spain 0–48  Scotland 16 October 1999
 Namibia 0–142  Australia 25 October 2003
 England 0–36  South Africa 14 September 2007
 Romania 0–42  Scotland 18 September 2007
 Scotland 0–40  New Zealand 23 September 2007
 Namibia 0–30  Georgia 26 September 2007
 Namibia 0–87  South Africa 22 September 2011
 Fiji 0–66  Wales 2 October 2011
 United States 0–64  South Africa 7 October 2015
 Samoa 0–34  Scotland 30 September 2019
 Canada 0–63  New Zealand 2 October 2019
 Russia 0–35  Ireland 3 October 2019
 Russia 0–61  Scotland 9 October 2019
 New Zealand 0–0(1)  Italy 12 October 2019
 England 0–0(1)  France 12 October 2019
 Namibia 0–0(1)  Canada 13 October 2019
 Romania 0–76  South Africa 17 September 2023
 Namibia 0–96  France 21 September 2023
 Chile 0–71  England 23 September 2023
 Romania 0–84  Scotland 30 September 2023
 Uruguay 0–73  New Zealand 5 October 2023
  • 1 During the 2019 tournament, Typhoon Hagibis caused the matches New Zealand v Italy, England v France and Namibia v Canada to be cancelled and recorded as 0–0 draws.

Highest attendance

[edit]

Lowest attendance

[edit]

Hosting

[edit]
Eden Park was the first stadium to host the World Cup Final twice
  • Eden Park in Auckland Park was the first stadium to host the Rugby World Cup Final twice, with the 1987 and 2011 finals having been held there. Twickenham Stadium has also hosted the final twice in 1991 and 2015, as has the Stade de France in 2007 and 2023.
  • The record for the city that has been a part of most Rugby World Cups is currently four and is held by Cardiff that hosted matches in 1991, 1999, 2007 and 2015. If the definition of "city" includes its metropolitan area, Paris has also hosted matches in four tournaments. The city of Paris hosted matches in 1991, its adjacent suburb of Saint-Denis hosted matches in 1999 and 2023, and both cities hosted matches in 2007. Edinburgh and Toulouse hosted matches in three tournaments.

Head-to-Head

[edit]

The highest number of Head-to-Head matches between two nations currently stands at eight meetings, encompassing four teams (Australia, France, New Zealand, and Wales) in two Rugby World Cup rivalries. The following table lists the Head-to-Head statistics of the Rugby World Cup, ranging from the inaugural tournament in 1987 to the latest tournament in 2023. It is organised first numerically, with the more Head-to-Head meetings appearing at the top of the table and the fewer meetings, such as one meeting between two nations appearing at the bottom of the table, and second, alphabetically by teams.

Legend
R1 Round 1 (Pool stage)
R2 Round 2 (Quarter-Final Playoff / Last 16)(2)
QF Quarter-finals
SF Semi-finals
3rd 3rd/4th place playoff (Bronze final)
F Final
Games Team 1 Head-2-Head Wins (Draws) Team 2 Year(s) Rounds
8  Australia 5–3  Wales 1987, 1991, 1999, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, 2023 3rd, R1, QF, R1, 3rd, R1, R1, R1
 France 3–5  New Zealand 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2011, 2015, 2023 F, SF, 3rd, QF, R1, F, QF, R1
7  Australia 3–4  England 1987, 1991, 1995, 2003, 2007, 2015, 2019 R1, F, QF, F, QF, R1, QF
 Italy 0–6
(& 1 Draw)(3) 		 New Zealand 1987, 1991, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2019, 2023 R1, R1, R1, R1, R1, R1, R1
6  England 3–2
(& 1 Draw)(3) 		 France 1991, 1995, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2019 QF, 3rd, SF, SF, QF, R1
 England 1–5  South Africa 1999, 2003, 2007, 2007, 2019, 2023 QF, R1, R1, F, F, SF
 New Zealand 3–3  South Africa 1995, 1999, 2003, 2015, 2019, 2023 F, 3rd, QF, SF, R1, F
5  Argentina 0–5  England 1995, 2011, 2019, 2023, 2023 R1, R1, R1, R1, 3rd
 Australia 4–1  Ireland 1987, 1991, 1999, 2003, 2011 QF, QF, R1, R1, R1
 Fiji 1–4  Wales 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, 2023 R1, R1, R1, R1, R1
 New Zealand 5–0  Scotland 1987, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2007 QF, 3rd, QF, QF, R1
 Samoa(1) 0–5  South Africa 1995, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 QF, R1, R1, R1, R1
  • 1 Samoa competed as Western Samoa from 1924 to 1997.
  • 2 Round 2 was introduced at the 1999 Rugby World Cup and consisted of the five group runners-up and the best third-placed team playoff for one of three places in the quarter-final. It was discontinued for the 2003 to 2023 Rugby World Cups. Round 2 will be re-introduced for the 2027 Rugby World Cup and will consist of the last 16 teams made up from the top two placed teams from six groups and the best four third-placed teams.[33]
  • 3 Three Rugby World Cup 2019 matches; involving Namibia versus Canada, New Zealand versus Italy, and England versus France, were cancelled and recorded as a 0–0 draw due to Typhoon Hagibis.

Tier 1 Nations Head-to-Head

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The table below shows the current dominance in the Head-to-Head meetings of Tier 1 nations at the Rugby World Cup from the first tournament in 1987 to the latest tournament in 2023 (as of 20 October). Currently, New Zealand has the best record amongst the other Tier 1 nations, achieving more wins and culminating in a superior Head-to-Head record over seven other Tier 1 nations, and equal with two others (Australia and South Africa). Italy are at the bottom of the table, and have an inferior Head-to-Head record with eight other Tier 1 nations, and parity with one other nation (Argentina). However, as of the 2023 tournament Japan are the bottom team. There are two Tier 1 Head-to-Head meetings that have never been played at a Rugby World Cup: England–Ireland, and Scotland–Wales.

Team Ranking Tier 1 Nations Head-to-Head Wins (Draws) Total Head-to-Head meetings
Argentina Australia England France Ireland Italy Japan New Zealand Scotland South Africa Wales Superior Equal Inferior Never played
 New Zealand 4–0 2–2 3–1 5–3 3–0 6–0 (1)(1) 2–0 — 5–0 3–3 4–0 8 2 0 —
 Australia 3–0 — 3–4 1–1 4–1 1–0 2–0 2–2 2–0 2–1 5–3 7 2 1 —
 South Africa 2–0 1–2 5–1 2–0 0–1 1–0 1–1 3–3 3–0 — 3–0 6 2 2 —
 England 5–0 4–3 — 3–2 (1)(1) NP 3–0 1–0 1–3 2–0 1–5 1–2 6 0 3 1
 Wales 2–1 3–5 2–1 1–1 2–1 1–0 3–0 0–4 NP 0–3 — 5 1 3 1
 France 2–2 1–1 2–3 (1)(1) — 3–1 2–0 2–0 3–5 2–0 (1) 0–2 1–1 4 3 3 —
 Ireland 1–3 1–4 NP 1–3 — 2–0 2–1 0–3 2–1 1–0 1–2 4 0 5 1
 Argentina — 0–3 0–5 2–2 3–1 1–1 2–0 0–4 2–0 0–2 1–2 3 2 5 0
 Scotland 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 (1) 1–2 1–0 3–1 0–5 — 0–3 NP 2 0 7 1
 Japan 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 1–2 NP — 0–2 1–3 1–1 0–3 0 1 8 1
 Italy 1–1 0–1 0–3 0–2 0–2 — NP 0–6 (1)(1) 0–1 0–1 0–1 0 1 8 1

Trivia

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  • England became the first sole host nation to be eliminated in the pool stage of a Rugby World Cup in 2015. Wales, as joint hosts, were eliminated in the pool stage in 1991.
  • Four match-ups have occurred twice in the same World Cup:
    • 2007 Argentina defeated France in the opening match 17–12, and went on to beat them 34–10 in the bronze final.
    • 2007 South Africa defeated England 36–0 in the pool stage, and went on to play them in the final, winning 15–6.
    • 2011 New Zealand defeated France 37–17 in the pool stage, and went on to play them in the final, winning 8–7.
    • 2023 England defeated Argentina 27–10 in the pool stage, and went on to beat them 26–23 in the bronze final.
  • There are two Tier 1 Head-to-Head meetings that have never been played at a Rugby World Cup: England versus Ireland, and Scotland versus Wales.
  • Four nations have reached a Rugby World Cup Final having previously lost a game in that tournament: England in 1991 and 2007, South Africa in 2019 and 2023, New Zealand in 2023 and France in 2011, the latter being the only team to reach the final having lost two games. The 2023 final is the only one with both teams having previously lost a game in the tournament.
  • New Zealand have been involved in four World Cup opening matches, the most by any other team. The All Blacks defeated Italy in 1987, England in 1991, and Tonga in 2011, but lost to France in 2023. Argentina have participated in three World Cup opening matches. The Pumas participated in the first three World Cup openers of the professional era – losing to Wales and Australia in 1999 and 2003 respectively, and defeating France in 2007.
  • France and New Zealand are the only nations to have made it to at least the quarter-finals of every Rugby World Cup. Furthermore, South Africa have also done so since they started participating in 1995.
  • France is the only non English-speaking country to have made it to a Rugby World Cup final – in 1987, 1999 and 2011. It is also the only country to reach a final without ever winning it.
  • The only Tier 2 country to have participated in every Rugby World Cup is Japan, with Canada only failing to qualify for the first time in 2023, making it to one quarter-final in 1991 and Japan reaching the quarter finals in 2019.
  • Japan is the only team to have won three matches in a tournament where they did not progress beyond the pool stage, losing out to South Africa and Scotland in their pool by points difference in 2015.
  • Among the Tier 1 nations, Italy is the only one not to have made it to at least the quarter-finals in any Rugby World Cup. Conversely, four Tier 2 countries have made it to the quarter-finals – Fiji in 1987, 2007 and 2023, Samoa (then called Western Samoa) in 1991 and 1995, Canada in 1991 and Japan in 2019.
    • Arguably, Argentina in 1999 could also be regarded as having been a Tier 2 nation at the time, since they were not yet in the southern-hemisphere Rugby Championship: although official "Tiers" were not recognised at the time, this match can be regarded as the start of their actual period of achievement which led to them later earning recognition at the top table. Similarly, Japan's achievements in 2019, added to their defeat of South Africa in 2015, were eventually recognised by formally admitting them to the definition of a Tier 1 nation in May 2023.
  • The 2015 final between Australia and New Zealand is the highest scoring Rugby World Cup final, with New Zealand winning that match 34–17.
  • After the 2015 final, New Zealand became the first team to win the Rugby World Cup three times, and the first team to have successfully defended its title. South Africa became the second team to defend its title in 2023 and the first to win the Rugby World Cup on four occasions, as well as the first to win successive titles away from home.
  • Wales have had the most upsets in the Rugby World Cup, having lost to Samoa both in 1991 and 1999, then losing to Fiji in 2007. Other major upsets include Ireland and Scotland losing to Japan in 2019, France losing to Tonga in 2011, South Africa losing to Japan in 2015 and Australia losing to Fiji in 2023. Argentina's defeat of Ireland in 1999 was also regarded as an upset at the time.
  • South Africa became the first nation to win a World Cup after losing a match in the pool stage in 2019 and did so again in 2023.
  • New Zealand were the last Tier 1 team to experience defeat in the pool stages of a Rugby World Cup. They were defeated by France in 2023.[34]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Team Records". ESPN. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  2. ^ "Most team points in a match". Espnscrum.com. 26 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  3. ^ "All Time RWC Team Records". Rugbyworldcup.com. 26 September 2015. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  4. ^ "Most team tries in a match". Espnscrum.com. 26 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  5. ^ "All Time RWC Player Statistics". Rugbyworldcup.com. 26 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  6. ^ "Most individual points in a tournament/season". Espnscrum.com. 26 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  7. ^ "All Time RWC Player Records". Rugbyworldcup.com. 26 September 2015. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  8. ^ "RWC ALL TIME MOST TRIES SCORED". Rugbyworldcup.com. 30 September 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  9. ^ "Most individual tries in a tournament/season". Espnscrum.com. 26 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  10. ^ "Most individual tries in a match". Espnscrum.com. 26 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  11. ^ "Youngest tryscorer". Espnscrum.com. 26 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  12. ^ "Oldest tryscorer". Espnscrum.com. 26 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  13. ^ "RWC ALL TIME MOST CONVERSIONS". Rugbyworldcup.com. 26 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  14. ^ "Most individual conversions". Espnscrum.com. 2 October 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  15. ^ "Most individual conversions in a tournament/season". Espnscrum.com. 26 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  16. ^ "Most individual conversions in a match". Espnscrum.com. 26 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  17. ^ "RWC ALL TIME MOST PENALTIES SCORED". Rugbyworldcup.com. 26 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  18. ^ "Most individual penalty goals". Espnscrum.com. 26 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  19. ^ "Most individual penalty goals in a tournament/season". Espnscrum.com. 26 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  20. ^ "Most individual penalty goals in a match". Espnscrum.com. 26 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  21. ^ "RWC ALL TIME MOST DROP GOALS". Rugbyworldcup.com. 26 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  22. ^ "Most individual drop goals". Espnscrum.com. 26 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  23. ^ "Most individual drop goals in a tournament/season". Espnscrum.com. 26 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  24. ^ "Most individual drop goals in a match". Espnscrum.com. 26 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  25. ^ "RWC ALL TIME MOST MATCHES PLAYED". Rugbyworldcup.com. 2 October 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  26. ^ "Most matches". Espnscrum.com. 2 October 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  27. ^ "Player Records: Overall figures, Rugby World Cup, won match". ESPN (UK). 2 October 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  28. ^ "Player Records: Overall figures, Rugby World Cup, lost match". ESPN (UK). 2 October 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  29. ^ a b c Griffiths, John (12 September 2011). "Victors in the Five/Six Nations, Tri-Nations and the World Cup, the youngest and oldest players, referees and close encounters". Ask John. ESPN Scrum. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
  30. ^ For the specific match where Ormaeches established the current record, see the list of his Test matches at ESPN Scrum.
  31. ^ "Georgia spring first surprise by taking down Tonga". ESPN (UK). PA Sport. 19 September 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  32. ^ "Rugby World Cup - Highest attendance". ESPN. 2 November 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  33. ^ Phillips, Mitch (24 October 2023). "World Cup expands to 24 teams amid radical new calendar". Reuters. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  34. ^ "New Zealand discipline poor again as Rugby World Cup pools streak ends". AP. 8 September 2023. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
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