Australia at the Rugby World Cup
The Australian national rugby union team, known as the Wallabies, has played all eight Rugby World Cup tournaments. They are one of the three best performing teams, having won two tournaments, as has South Africa; only New Zealand has done better, winning three tournaments. Australia has hosted or co-hosted the tournament on two occasions – in 1987 and 2003.
By position
- 1987 Fourth place
- 1991 Champions (1st title)
- 1995 Quarter-finals
- 1999 Champions (2nd title)
- 2003 Runners-up
- 2007 Quarter-finals
- 2011 Third place
- 2015 Runners-up
By tournament
- Group matches
| 23 May 1987 |
Australia  | 19 – 6 |  England |
| Tries: David Campese Simon Poidevin Con: Michael Lynagh Pen: Michael Lynagh (3) | Try: Mike Harrison Con: Jon Webb |
| Concord Oval, Sydney Referee: Keith Lawrence (New Zealand) |
| 31 May 1987 |
| Australia | 47 – 12 |  United States |
| Tries: Andrew Leeds (2) Penalty try David Campese Brian Smith Andrew Slack Brett Papworth David Codey Con: Michael Lynagh (6) Pen: Michael Lynagh | Try: Ray Nelson Con: Ray Nelson Pen: Ray Nelson Drop: Dave Horton |
| Ballymore, Brisbane Referee: Brian Anderson (Scotland) |
| 3 June 1987 |
| Australia | 42 – 23 |  Japan |
| Tries: Andrew Slack (2) Matthew Burke (2) Steve Tuynman Peter Grigg Mark Hartill David Campese Con: Michael Lynagh (5) | Tries: Eiji Kutsuki (2) Tsuyoshi Fujita Con: Minoru Okidoi Pen: Minoru Okidoi (2) Drop: Minoru Okidoi |
| Concord Oval, Sydney Referee: Jim Fleming (Scotland) |
| Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia
|
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 108 | 41 | 6 |
| England
|
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 100 | 32 | 4 |
| United States
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 39 | 99 | 2 |
| Japan
|
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 48 | 123 | 0 |
- Quarter final
| 7 June 1987 |
| Australia | 30 – 24 |  Ireland |
| Tries: Burke McIntyre Smith Con: Lynagh (4) Pen: Lynagh (3) | Tries: Kiernan MacNeil Con: Kiernan (2) Pen: Kiernan |
| Concord Oval, Sydney Referee: Brian Anderson (New Zealand) |
- Semi-final
| 13 June 1987 |
| Australia | 24 – 30 |  France |
| Tries: Campese Codey Con: Lynagh (2) Pen: Lynagh (3) Drop: Lynagh | Tries: Lorieux Sella Lagisquet Blanco Con: Camberabero (4) Pen: Camberabero (2) |
| Concord Oval, Sydney Attendance: 17,768 Referee: Brian Anderson (Scotland) |
- Third place play-off
| 18 June 1987 |
| Australia | 21 – 22 |  Wales |
| Tries: Burke Grigg Con: Lynagh (2) Pen: Lynagh (2) Drop: Lynagh | Tries: Roberts Moriarty Hadley Con: Thorburn (2) Pen: Thorburn (2) |
| Rotorua International Stadium, Rotorua Referee: Fred Howard (England) |
- Group matches
| 4 October 1991 |
Argentina  | 19 – 32 | Australia |
| Tries: Teran (2) Con: Del Castillo Pen: Del Castillo Drop: Arbizu (2) | Tries: Campese (2), Horan (2), Kearns Con: Lynagh (3) Pen: Lynagh (2) |
| Stradey Park, Llanelli Referee: David Bishop (New Zealand) |
| 9 October 1991 |
| Australia | 9 – 3 |  Western Samoa |
| Pen: Lynagh (3) | Pen: Vaea |
| Pontypool Park, Pontypool Referee: Ed Morrison (England) |
| 12 October 1991 |
| Wales | 3 – 38 | Australia |
| Pen: Ring | Tries: Roebuck (2), Slattery, Campese, Horan, Lynagh Con: Lynagh (4) Pen: Lynagh (2) |
| Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff Referee: Keith Lawrence (New Zealand) |
Team Won Drawn Lost For Against Points 
Australia
3 0 0 79 25 9 
Western Samoa
2 0 1 54 34 7 
Wales
1 0 2 32 61 5 
Argentina
0 0 3 38 83 3
Quarter final
| 20 October 1991 |
| Ireland | 18 – 19 | Australia |
| Tries Hamilton Con: Keyes Pen: Keyes (3) Drop goals Keyes | Tries: Campese (2), Lynagh Con: Lynagh (2) Pen: Lynagh |
| Lansdowne Road, Dublin Referee: Jim Fleming (Scotland) |
- Semi final
| 27 October 1991 |
| Australia | 16 – 6 |  New Zealand |
| Tries: Campese, Horan Con: Lynagh Pen: Lynagh (2) | Pen: Fox (2) |
| Lansdowne Road, Dublin Referee: Jim Fleming (Scotland) |
- Final
| 27 October 1991 |
| Australia | 12 – 6 | England |
| Tries: Daly Con: Lynagh Pen: Lynagh (2) | Pen: Webb (2) |
| Twickenham, London Referee: Derek Bevan (Wales) |
| 1991 Rugby World Cup Champions |
|---|
 Australia First title |
Group matches
| 1995-05-25 |
South Africa  | 27 – 18 | Australia |
| Tries: Pieter Hendriks, Joel Stransky Con: Joel Stransky Pen: Joel Stransky (4) Drop Goal: Joel Stransky | Tries: Phil Kearns, Michael Lynagh Con: Michael Lynagh Pen: Michael Lynagh Drop Goals: |
| Newlands, Cape Town Attendance: 51 000 (capacity) Referee: Derek Bevan (Wales) |
| 1995-05-31 |
| Australia | 27 – 11 |  Canada |
| Tries: Michael Lynagh, Ilivasi Tabua, Joe Roff Con: Michael Lynagh (3) Pen: Michael Lynagh (2) Drop Goals: | Tries: Al Charron Con: Pen: Gareth Rees (2) Drop Goals: |
| Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth Attendance: 15 000 Referee: Patrick Robin (France) |
| 1995-06-03 |
| Australia | 42 – 3 |  Romania |
| Tries: Damian Smith, David Wilson, Joe Roff, Michael Foley, Matt Burke Con: Matt Burke (2), John Eales (4) Pen: Drop Goals: | Tries: Con: Pen: Ilie Ivancuic Drop Goals: |
| Danie Craven Stadium, Stellenbosch Attendance: 15 000 Referee: Naoki Saito (Japan) |
Team Won Drawn Lost For Against Points 
South Africa
3 0 0 68 26 9 Australia
2 0 1 87 41 7 
Canada
1 0 2 45 50 5 
Romania
0 0 3 14 97 3
- Quarter final
| 15 September 2007 |
| Australia | 22 – 25 | England |
| Tries: Damian Smith Con: Michael Lynagh Pen: Michael Lynagh (5) Drop Goals: | Tries: Tony Underwood Con: Rob Andrew Pen: Rob Andrew (5) Drop Goals: Rob Andrew |
| Newlands, Cape Town Referee: David Bishop (New Zealand) |
- Group matches
| 1999-10-03 |
| Australia | 57 – 9 | Romania |
| Tries: Toutai Kefu (3), Joe Roff (2), Rod Kafer, Matthew Burke, Jason Little, Tim Horan Con: Matthew Burke (5), John Eales | Pen: Petre Mitu (3) |
| Ravenhill, Belfast Referee: Paul Honiss (New Zealand) |
| 1999-10-10 |
| Ireland | 3 – 23 | Australia |
| Pen: David Humphreys | Tries: Ben Tune, Tim Horan Con: Matthew Burke (2) Pen: Matthew Burke (2), John Eales |
| Lansdowne Road, Dublin Referee: Clayton Thomas (Wales) |
| 1999-10-14 |
| Australia | 55–19 | United States |
| Tries: Scott Staniforth (2), Chris Latham, Chris Whitaker, Michael Foley, Matthew Burke, Stephen Larkham, Tiaan Straaus Con: Matthew Burke (5), Joe Roff Pen: Matthew Burke | Tries: Juan Grobler Con: Kevin Dalzell Pen: Kevin Dalzell (4) |
| Thomond Park, Limerick Referee: Andre Watson (South Africa) |
Team Won Drawn Lost For Against Points Australia
3 0 0 135 31 6 
Ireland
2 0 1 100 45 4 Romania
1 0 2 50 126 2 
United States
0 0 3 52 135 0
- Quarter final
| 1999-10-23 |
| Wales | 9 – 24 | Australia |
| Pens: Neil Jenkins (3) | Tries: George Gregan (2), Ben Tune Con: Matthew Burke (3) Pen: Matthew Burke |
| Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 74,499 Referee: Colin Hawke (New Zealand) |
- Semi-final
| 1999-10-30 |
| South Africa | 21 – 27 (a.e.t) | Australia |
| Pen: Jannie de Beer (6) Drop: Jannie de Beer | Pen: Matthew Burke (8) Drop: Stephen Larkham |
| Twickenham, London Attendance: 75,000 Referee: Derek Bevan (Wales) |
- Final
| 1999-11-06 |
| Australia | 35 – 12 | France |
| Tries: Ben Tune, Owen Finegan
Con: Matthew Burke (2) Pen: Matthew Burke (7) | Pen: Christophe Lamaison (4) |
| Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 74,500 Referee: André Watson (South Africa) |
| 1999 Rugby World Cup Champions |
|---|
Australia Second title |
- Group matches
| 2003-10-10 |
| Australia | 24 – 8 | Argentina |
| Try: Sailor 20', Roff 74' Con: Flatley Pen: Flatley (4) | Try: Corleto 72' Pen: M. Contepomi |
| Telstra Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 81,350 Referee: Paul Honiss (New Zealand) |
| 2003-10-18 |
| Australia | 90 – 8 | Romania |
| Tries: Flatley, Rogers (3), Burke (2), Larkham (2), Mortlock, Roff, Giteau, Tuqiri, Smith Con: Flatley (11) Pen: Flatley | Tries: Toderasc Pen: Tofan |
| Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Attendance: 48,778 Referee: Pablo De Luca (Argentina) |
| 2003-10-25 |
| Australia | 142 – 0 |  Namibia |
| Tries: Latham (5), Lyons, Mortlock, Tuqiri (3), Penalty try, Rogers (2), Paul, Giteau (3), Grey, Turinui (2), Burke, Roe Con: Rogers (16) |
| Adelaide Oval Attendance: 33,000 Referee: Joël Jutge (France) |
| 2003-11-01 |
| Australia | 17–16 | Ireland |
| Tries: Smith Pen: Flatley (3) Drop: Gregan | Tries: O'Driscoll Con: O'Gara Pen: O'Gara (2) Drop: O'Driscoll |
| Telstra Dome, Melbourne Attendance: 54,206 Referee: Paddy O'Brien (New Zealand) |
| Team | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | BP | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia
|
4 | 0 | 0 | 273 | 32 | 2 | 18 |
| Ireland
|
3 | 0 | 1 | 141 | 56 | 3 | 15 |
| Argentina
|
2 | 0 | 2 | 140 | 57 | 3 | 11 |
| Romania
|
1 | 0 | 3 | 65 | 192 | 1 | 5 |
| Namibia
|
0 | 0 | 4 | 28 | 310 | 0 | 0 |
- Quarter final
| 8 November 2003 |
| Australia | 33 – 16 |  Scotland |
| Tries Gregan, Lyons, Mortlock Con: Flatley (3) Pen: Flatley (4) | Tries: Russell Con: Paterson Pen: Paterson (2) Drop Goals Paterson |
| Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand) |
- semi final
| 2003-11-15 |
| Australia | 22 – 10 | New Zealand |
| Try: Mortlock 9' c Con: Flatley Pen: Flatley (5) | Try: Thorne 35' c Con: MacDonald Pen: MacDonald |
| Telstra Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 82,444 Referee: Chris White (England) |
- Final
| 22 November 2003 |
| Australia | 17 – 20 (a.e.t) | England |
| Tries Tuqiri Pen: Elton Flatley (4) | Tries: Robinson Pen: Wilkinson (4) Drop Goal Wilkinson |
| Telstra Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 82,957 Referee: Andre Watson (South Africa) |
- Group Matches
| 8 September 2007 |
| Australia | 91 – 3 | Japan |
| Tries: Rocky Elsom (3), Chris Latham (2), Berrick Barnes (2), Drew Mitchell, George Smith, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Nathan Sharpe, Adam Freier Con: Stirling Mortlock (7), Matt Giteau (3) Pen: Stirling Mortlock Drop Goals | Tries: Con: Pen: Kosei Ono Drop Goals: |
| Stade Gerland, Lyon Referee: Alan Lewis (Ireland) |
| 15 September 2007 |
| Australia | 32 – 20 | Wales |
| Tries: Chris Latham (2), Matt Giteau, Stirling Mortlock Con: Stirling Mortlock (2), Matt Giteau Pen: Stirling Mortlock (2) Drop Goals: Berrick Barnes | Tries: Jonathan Thomas, Shane Williams Con: James Hook Pen: Stephen Jones, James Hook (2) Drop Goals: |
| Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand) |
| 23 September 2007 |
| Australia | 55 – 12 |  Fiji |
| Tries: Drew Mitchell (3), Matt Giteau (2), Adam Ashley-Cooper, Stephen Hoiles Con: Matt Giteau (4) Pen: matt Giteau (3) Drop Goals: Berrick Barnes | Tries: Isoa Neivua, Aca Ratuva Con: Seremaia Bai Pen: Drop Goals: |
| Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales) |
| 29 September 2007 |
| Australia | 37 – 6 | Canada |
| Tries: Drew Mitchell (2), Al Baxter, Adam Freier, George Smith, Chris Latham Con: Cameron Shepherd (2) Pen: Julian Huxley Drop Goals: | Tries: Con: Pen: James Pritchard (2) Drop Goals: |
| Stade Chaban Delmas, Bordeaux Referee: Chris White (England) |
Pool B games -
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | TF | PF | PA | +/- | BP | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia
|
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 215 | 41 | +174 | 4 | 20 |
| Fiji
|
4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 114 | 136 | −22 | 3 | 15 |
| Wales
|
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 168 | 105 | +63 | 4 | 12 |
| Japan
|
4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 64 | 210 | −146 | 1 | 3 |
| Canada
|
4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 51 | 120 | −69 | 0 | 2 |
- Quarter final
| 2007-010-06 |
| Australia | 10 – 12 | England |
| Tries: Lote Tuqiri Con: Stirling Mortlock Pen: Stirling Mortlock Drop Goals: | Tries: Con: Pen: Jonny Wilkinson (4) Drop Goals: |
| Stade Vélodrome, Marseille Referee: Alain Roland (Ireland) |
- Group Matches
| 11 September 2011 15:30 |
| Australia | 32 – 6 |  Italy |
| Try: Alexander 50' m Ashley-Cooper 55' c O'Connor 58' c Ioane 66' c Con: O'Connor (3/4) Pen: Cooper (2/3) 19', 30' | Report | Pen: Bergamasco (2/3) 38', 40+' |
| North Harbour Stadium, Auckland Attendance: 25,731 Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland) |
| 17 September 2011 20:30 |
| Australia | 6 – 15 | Ireland |
| Pen: O'Connor (2/4) 11', 23' | Report | Pen: Sexton (2/5) 17', 49' O'Gara (2/2) 62', 71' Drop: Sexton 19' |
| Eden Park, Auckland Attendance: 58,678 Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand) |
| 23 September 2011 20:30 |
| Australia | 67 – 5 | United States |
| Try: Horne 8' m Elsom 11' m Beale 31' c Fainga'a (2) 35' m, 71' m Mitchell 45'c McCabe 48'm Ashley-Cooper (3) 59' c, 64' c, 66' c Samo 78' c Con: Beale (0/1) Cooper (2/5) Barnes (4/5) | Report | Try: Gagiano 23' m Con: Malifa (0/1) |
| Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington Attendance: 33,824 Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales) |
| 1 October 2011 15:30 |
| Australia | 68 – 22 |  Russia |
| Try: Barnes (2) 7' m, 79' c Mitchell (2) 9' c, 49' c McCalman 12' c Pocock (2) 15' c, 22' c Moore 36' c Ashley-Cooper 39' c Ma'afu 42' c Con: O'Connor (9/10) | Report | Try: Ostroushko 33' m Simplikevich 60' c Rachkov 68' c Con: Kushnarev (0/1) Rachkov (2/2) Drop: Rachkov (1/1) 47' |
| Trafalgar Park, Nelson Attendance: 16,307 Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand) |
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | TF | PF | PA | +/- | BP | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland
|
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 135 | 34 | +101 | 1 | 17 |
| Australia
|
4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 173 | 48 | +125 | 3 | 15 |
| Italy
|
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 92 | 95 | −3 | 2 | 10 |
| United States
|
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 38 | 122 | −84 | 0 | 4 |
| Russia
|
4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 57 | 139 | −139 | 1 | 1 |
- Quarter Finals
| 9 October 2011 18:00 NZDT (UTC+13) |
| South Africa | 9 – 11 | Australia |
| Pen: Steyn (2/4) 39', 56' Drop: Steyn (1/1) 60' Lambie (0/1) | Report[dead link] | Try: Horwill 11' m Con: O'Connor (0/1) Pen: O'Connor (2/2) 17', 72' |
| Regional Stadium, Wellington Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand) |
- Semifinal
| 2011-10-16 20:30 |
| New Zealand | 20 – 6 report = [ (Report)] | Australia |
| Tries: Nonu Pen: Weepu Drop: Cruden | Pen: O'Connor Drop: Cooper |
| Eden Park, Auckland Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa) |
- Third place play-off
| 21 October 2011 20:30 NZDT (UTC+13) |
| Wales | 18 – 21 | Australia |
| Try: Shane Williams 50' m Halfpenny 80+' c Con: Hook (0/1) S. Jones (1/1) Pen: Hook (1/2) 20' Halfpenny (0/1) S. Jones (1/1) 71' Drop: Shane Williams (0/1) | Tracker | Try: Barnes 12' c McCalman 76' m Con: O'Connor (1/2) Pen: O'Connor (2/4) 54', 58' Drop: Barnes (1/1) 68' |
| Eden Park, Auckland Attendance: 53,014 Referee: Wayne Barnes (England) |
- Group matches
| 23 September 2015 16:45 |
| Australia | 28–13 | Fiji |
| Try: Pocock (2) 26' c, 31' m Kepu 43' c Con: Foley (2/3) 28', 44' Pen: Foley (3/3) 10', 38', 70' | Report | Try: Volavola 60' c Con: Nadolo (1/1) 61' Pen: Nadolo (2/2) 21', 47' |
| Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 67,253 Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand) |
| 27 September 2015 12:00 |
| Australia | 65–3 |  Uruguay |
| Try: McMahon (2) 7' m, 69' m Tomane 9' c Mumm 26' m Speight 31' c McCalman (2) 36' c, 61' c Mitchell (2) 47' m, 52' m Toomua 71' m Kuridrani 80' c Con: Cooper (5/11) 10', 32', 36', 62', 80' | Report | Pen: Berchesi (1/1) 24' |
| Villa Park, Birmingham Attendance: 39,605 Referee: Pascal Gaüzère (France) |
| 3 October 2015 20:00 |
| England | 13–33 | Australia |
| Try: Watson 56' c Con: Farrell (1/1) 57' Pen: Farrell (2/2) 13', 65' | Report | Try: Foley (2) 20' c, 35' c Giteau 80' c Con: Foley (3/3) 22', 36', 80' Pen: Foley (4/4) 8', 50', 72', 76' |
| Twickenham Stadium, London Attendance: 81,010 Referee: Romain Poite (France) |
| 10 October 2015 16:45 |
| Australia | 15–6 | Wales |
| Pen: Foley (5/6) 25', 31', 37', 51', 73' Giteau (0/1) | Report | Pen: Biggar (2/3) 5', 34' |
| Twickenham Stadium, London Attendance: 80,863 Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa) |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | T | B | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia
|
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 141 | 35 | +106 | 17 | 1 | 17 | Advanced to the quarter-finals and qualified for the 2019 Rugby World Cup |
| 2 | Wales
|
4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 111 | 62 | +49 | 11 | 1 | 13 | |
| 3 | England
|
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 133 | 75 | +58 | 16 | 3 | 11 | Eliminated but qualified for 2019 Rugby World Cup |
| 4 | Fiji
|
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 84 | 101 | −17 | 10 | 1 | 5 | |
| 5 | Uruguay
|
4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 30 | 226 | −196 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Source: [citation needed]
- Quarter final
| 18 October 2015 16:00 BST (UTC+01) |
| Australia | 35–34 | Scotland |
| Try: Ashley-Cooper 9' m Mitchell (2) 30' m, 43' c Hooper 40' m Kuridrani 64' c Con: Foley (2/5) 44', 65' Pen: Foley (2/2) 54', 80' | Report | Try: Horne 18' c Seymour 59' m Bennett 74' c Con: Laidlaw (2/3) 19', 75' Pen: Laidlaw (5/5) 14', 21', 34', 47', 69' |
| Twickenham Stadium, London Attendance: 77,110 Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa) |
- Semi final
| 25 October 2015 16:00 GMT (UTC+00) |
| Argentina | 15–29 | Australia |
| Pen: Sánchez (5/5) 7', 24', 36', 45', 55' | Report | Try: Simmons 2' c Ashley-Cooper (3) 10' c, 32' m, 72' c Con: Foley (3/4) 3', 11', 73' Pen: Foley (1/2) 48' |
| Twickenham Stadium, London Attendance: 80,025 Referee: Wayne Barnes (England) |
- Final
| 31 October 2015 16:00 GMT (UTC+00) |
| New Zealand | 34–17 | Australia |
| Try: Milner-Skudder 39' c Nonu 42' m Barrett 79' c Con: Carter (2/3) 40', 80' Pen: Carter (4/4) 8', 27', 36', 75' Drop: Carter 70' | Report | Try: Pocock 53' Kuridrani 64' c Con: Foley (2/2) 54', 65' Pen: Foley (1/1) 14' |
| Twickenham Stadium, London Attendance: 80,125 Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales) |
Hosting
1987
Australia hosted the first 1987 Rugby World Cup, along with New Zealand. Games were hosted at the following stadiums -
| City | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Brisbane | Ballymore Stadium | 24,000 |
| Sydney | Concord Oval | 20,000 |
Most of the pool games were in New Zealand, but the semi-finals, and one of the quarter finals, were played in Australia.
2003
Australia won the right to host the World Cup in 2003 without the involvement of New Zealand after a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World Cup Limited. The overall stadium capacity was reduced from the 1999 Rugby World Cup in Wales.
The Adelaide Oval underwent a A$20 million redevelopment for the 2003 Rugby World Cup, financed entirely by the South Australian Cricket Association, with two new grandstands built adjacent to the Victor Richardson Gates. The Suncorp Stadium was a new A$280 million venue designed specifically for rugby, and was opened just before the start of the 2003 World Cup. The Central Coast Stadium was also a newly built venue, and opened in February 2000 at a cost of A$30 million.
Aussie Stadium was one of two venues in Sydney that were used for football during the 2000 Olympic Games. The other venue in Sydney was the Telstra Stadium which was the centrepiece of the 2000 Olympic Games. Formerly known as Stadium Australia, Telstra Stadium was built at a cost of over A$600 million and was the biggest stadium used in the 2003 World Cup. The only stadium with a retractable roof used was the Telstra Dome in Melbourne.
| Stadium | Games | City | State | Capacity | Best Crowd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Telstra Stadium | 7 | Sydney | New South Wales | 83,500 | 82,957 (Final: Australia vs England) |
| Aussie Stadium | 5 | Sydney | New South Wales | 41,159 | 37,137 (Scotland vs. Fiji) |
| Central Coast Stadium | 3 | Gosford | New South Wales | 20,119 | 19,653 (Japan vs. United States) |
| WIN Stadium | 2 | Wollongong | New South Wales | 18,484 | 17,833 (France vs. United States) |
| Suncorp Stadium | 9 | Brisbane | Queensland | 52,500 | 48,778 (Australia vs. Romania) |
| Dairy Farmers Stadium | 3 | Townsville | Queensland | 24,843 | 21,309 (France vs. Japan) |
| Telstra Dome | 7 | Melbourne | Victoria | 53,371 | 54,206 (Australia vs. Ireland) |
| Subiaco Oval | 5 | Perth | Western Australia | 42,922 | 38,834 (South Africa vs. England) |
| Canberra Stadium | 4 | Canberra | Australian Capital Territory | 24,647 | 22,641 (Italy vs. Wales) |
| Adelaide Oval | 2 | Adelaide | South Australia | 33,597 | 33,000 (Australia vs. Namibia) |
| York Park | 1 | Launceston | Tasmania | 19,891 | 15,457 (Namibia vs. Romania) |
Australia intended to bid for the 2015 and 2019 Rugby World Cups, but withdrew from the bidding. The bids were awarded to England and Japan respectively.
Overall record
| Australia vs | Played | Win | Draw | Lost | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina
|
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Canada
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| England
|
6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 50% |
| Fiji
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| France
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% |
| Ireland
|
5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 80% |
| Italy
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Japan
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Namibia
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| New Zealand
|
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 50% |
| Romania
|
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Russia
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Samoa
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Scotland
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| South Africa
|
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 66% |
| United States
|
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Uruguay
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Wales
|
6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 83% |
| Overall | 48 | 39 | 0 | 9 | 81% |
Team records
- Most points in a game
142 vs Namibia, 2003
91 vs Japan, 2007
90 vs Romania, 2003
68 vs Russia, 2011
67 vs United States, 2011
66 vs Namibia, 2015
57 vs Romania, 1999
55 vs United States, 1999
55 vs Fiji, 2007
Individual records
- Most World Cup matches
- 20 George Gregan (1995,1999,2003,2007)
- 15 John Eales (1991,1995,1999)
- 15 Nathan Sharpe (2003,2007,2011)
- 15 David Campese (1987,1991,1995)
- 14 Jason Little (1991,1995,1999)
- 14 Tim Horan (1991,1995,1999)
- 14 Joe Roff (1995,1999)
- Most points overall
- 195 Michael Lynagh (1987,1991,1995)
- 125 Matt Burke (1995,1999)
- 100 Elton Flatley
- 60 Matt Giteau (2003,2007)
- 57 Stirling Mortlock (1999,2003,2007)
- 57 Mat Rogers (2003,2007)
- Most points in a game
42 vs Namibia - Mat Rogers 2003
30 vs Romania - Elton Flatley 2003
27 vs Fiji - Matt Giteau 2007
25 vs France - Matt Burke 1999
25 vs Namibia - Chris Latham 2003
24 vs South Africa - Matt Burke 2003
- Most tries overall
- 11 Chris Latham (1999,2003,2007)
- 10 David Campese (1987,1991,1995)
- 10 Drew Mitchell (2007,2011)
- 7 Matt Giteau (2003,2007)
- 7 Adam Ashley-Cooper (2007,2011)
- 7 Joe Roff (1995,1999)
- Most tries in a game
5 vs Namibia - Chris Latham 2003
3 vs Romania - Toutai Kefu 1999
3 vs Fiji - Drew Mitchell 2007
3 vs United States - Adam Ashley-Cooper 2011
3 vs Romania - Mat Rogers 2003
3 vs Namibia - Lote Tuqiri 2003
3 vs Namibia - Matt Giteau 2003
3 vs Japan - Rocky Elsom 2003
- Most penalty goals
- 33 Michael Lynagh (1987,1991,1995)
- 21 Elton Flatley (1999,2003)
- 19 Matt Burke (1995,1999)
- 7 James O'Connor (2011)
- Most penalty goals in a game
8 vs South Africa - Matt Burke 1999
7 vs France - Matt Burke 1999
5 vs England - Michael Lynagh 1995
5 vs New Zealand - Elton Flatley 2003
- Most drop goals
- 3 Berrick Barnes (2007,2011)
- 2 Michael Lynagh (1987,1991,1995)
- 1 George Gregan (1995,1999,2003,2007)
- 1 Stephen Larkham (1999,2003,2007)
- 1 Quade Cooper (2011)
Portrayal on screen
Australia can be seen playing South Africa in the feature film Invictus based on the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
References
- Davies, Gerald (2004) The History of the Rugby World Cup (Sanctuary Publishing Ltd, (ISBN 1-86074-602-0)
- Farr-Jones, Nick, (2003). Story of the Rugby World Cup, Australian Post Corporation, (ISBN 0-642-36811-2)