The Rugby World Cup is an international competition of rugby union organized by the International Rugby Council (IRB). It is one of the world's top three sports events held every four years, and is one of the most popular sports events in the world, along with the FIFA World Cup in soccer and the World Baseball Classic in baseball.
It first started as a co-hosting event in Australia and New Zealand from 22 October to 20 November 1987. It has since been held in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019.The Rugby World Cup is played in the following ways.
They will be divided into four groups and play the full group league.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals tournament.
From the quarterfinals, it will be a single match.
William Webb Ellis (24 November 1806 – 24 February 1872) was an English rugby union player and believed to have been the founder of the game.
William Webb Ellis was born on 24 November 1806 in rugby, Warwickshire, England. He studied mathematics at a rugby school, and is known to have started playing rugby for the first time.
On January 26, 1823, a football match was held at rugby school. Football games at the time were similar to rugby, but hand touching the ball was not allowed. During the game, William Webb Ellis held the ball in his hand and started running to the opponent's goal. This is considered the beginning of the rugby game.
William Webb Ellis is believed to be the founder of the rugby game, but there are not many records of him. After his death, several testimonies have emerged relating to his life and the creation of rugby games, all of which are just claims by friends and relatives of William Webb Ellis.
Nevertheless, William Webb Ellis is revered as the founder of rugby games, and the trophy awarded to the winner of the rugby world cup has been named the William Webb Ellis Cup after him.
The winner of the Rugby World Cup will receive the William Webb Ellis Cup. William Webb Ellis was the founder of the rugby game in 1823.
Rugby World Cup all-time winners
Year | the final round | the winner |
1987 | New Zealand 29-9 France | New Zealand |
1991 | Australia 12-6 England | Australia |
1995 | South Africa 15-12 New Zealand | South Africa |
1999 | Australia 35-12 France | Australia |
2003 | England 20-17 Australia | England |
2007 | South Africa 15-6 England | South Africa |
2011 | New Zealand 8-7 France | New Zealand |
2015 | New Zealand 34-17 Australia | New Zealand |
2019 | South Africa 32-12 England | South Africa |
2023 Rugby World Cup Grouping
POOL A | POOL B | POOL C | POOL D |
France | Ireland | Australia | Japan |
Italy | South Africa | Wales | England |
New Zealand | Tonga | Fiji | Samoa |
Uruguay | Scotland | Portugal | Argentina |
Namibia | Romania | Georgia | Chile |
