The Rugby World Cup is a men's rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams. The tournament was first held in 1987, when the tournament was co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia.
The Fiji national rugby union team represents Fiji in men's international rugby union competes every four years at the Rugby World Cup, and their best performances were the 1987 and 2007 tournaments when they defeated Argentina and Wales respectively to reach the quarterfinals. Fiji also regularly plays test matches during the June and November test windows. Fiji also plays in the Pacific Tri-Nations, and has won the most Pacific Tri-Nations Championships of the three participating teams.
The United States men's national rugby union team, represents United States of America in men's international rugby union, nicknamed the Eagles it is controlled by USA Rugby. USA Rugby is a member of Rugby Americas North, one of six regional governing bodies under World Rugby. Until rugby returned to Olympic competition, with sevens at the 2016 Rio Games, the United States was the reigning Olympic rugby champion, having defeated the one other competitor in 1920 and the two other competitors at the 1924 Summer Olympics.
Agustín Pichot is a retired Argentine rugby union player, formerly captain of the Argentine team and the English club Bristol. In addition to Bristol, he played for French sides Stade Français and Racing Métro after leaving Argentine team CASI from San Isidro in 1997. In 2011, he was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame. He was Vice-Chairman of World Rugby between 2016 and 2020.
The Canada national rugby union team represents Canada in men's international rugby union and it is governed by Rugby Canada, and play in red and white. Canada is classified by World Rugby as a tier two rugby nation. Canada competes in competitions such as the Americas Rugby Championship and the Rugby World Cup.
The Russia national rugby union team represents Russia in men's international rugby union international competitions, nicknamed the Bears, is administered by the Rugby Union of Russia (RUR). The RUR is considered the official successor union of the Soviet Union by World Rugby and the combined CIS team which played in the early 1990s. Since 1992, the team has played as Russia. Its first test match as Russia was against the Barbarians in Moscow in June 1992 and the country's first test against an official Test nation was against Belgium later that same year.
Omar Hasan Jalil is a retired Argentine rugby union footballer. He last played for Stade Toulousain in the domestic French club competition, the Top 14. He has also played for Argentina, usually as a prop. He has played in over 50 Tests for the Pumas and has an international career with Argentina spanning more than a decade. He is of Lebanese background.
Viliami Vaki is a Tongan rugby union footballer. He represented Tonga at the 2003 Rugby World Cup and the 2007 Rugby World Cup. From 2003 to 2005 he played for Gran Rugby in Italy, then moved to USA Perpignan in the Top 14. He currently plays for Reggio in the Top12.
Ratu Apenisa Naevo is a Fijian rugby union footballer. His usual position is at lock. He has earned over 30 caps for the national team, after debuting in 1996 and going on to represent them at the Rugby World Cup.
Rimas Álvarez Kairelis is an Argentine rugby union footballer. He currently plays for Perpignan in the Top 14 in France. He has represented Argentina, and was part of the Argentinian squad at the 2003 Rugby World Cup and 2007 Rugby World Cup. His usual position is at lock.
The All Blacks first played against Italy at the opening game of the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987, beating them 70-6 at Eden Park, Auckland. The two teams have played a total of fifteen Test matches recognized by both sides as full internationals, with New Zealand winning all of them by an average margin of 51 points. The two sides have been in the same pool in five of the eight Rugby World Cup tournaments to date but have only played each other four times because Typhoon Hagibis caused their scheduled meeting in the 2019 tournament to be cancelled. The first 11 meetings between the two sides since their first clash in 1987 were never played at the same venue, then two tests had been held back to back at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
France and Wales have played each other at rugby union since 1908. A total of 99 matches have been played, with Wales winning 51 times, France 45 times and the remaining three finishing as draws.
Since 1909, France and Ireland have played each other in a total of 98 test matches, with France winning 56 times, Ireland winning 35 times and seven matches drawn.
Scotland and Fiji have played each other a total of eight times of which Scotland has won six times and lost twice.
Wales and Fiji have played each other at rugby union since 1985, when Wales won the inaugural game 40-3. Since then they have played each other on several occasions, including four times at the Rugby World Cup - once in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, once in the 2011 Rugby World Cup, once in the 2015 Rugby World Cup and once in the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Wales have won the majority of the games, winning ten out of the twelve matches played. Fiji has won once, with one draw in 2010.
Wales and United States first played each other in 1987 where Wales won 46–0 in Cardiff Arms Park. To the most recent Rugby World Cup, Wales and the United States have never played each other at a Rugby World Cup but Wales has played the United States on a Series Tour; 1997, 2005 and 2009.
Canada and France have played each other 8 times with France winning 7 off the meetings. They have met each other 3 times during the Rugby World Cup; 1991, 1999 and 2011, with Les Bleus winning all the meetings.
Tonga and Wales have played each other nine times as of 17 November 2018. Their first meeting came in 1986, when Wales won 15–7 at the Teufaiva Sport Stadium in Tonga's capital, Nukuʻalofa. They have played each other twice at Rugby World Cups; once in 1987 and once in 2003. Tonga is yet to record a victory over Wales.
Ireland and Canada first played each other at rugby union in 1987 when Ireland won 33-11 in Dunedin in the group stage of the inaugural rugby world cup. They have played each other eight times, three times in Canada and three times in Ireland, with the other two matches in neutral venues as part of the 1987 and 2015 rugby world cups. Ireland have won seven of the eight matches played between the teams, with one draw.
