The Rugby World Cup is a rugby union tournament held every four years and contested by the men's national teams of the member unions of World Rugby. The Wales national rugby union team has participated in all ten Rugby World Cup tournaments. Up to and including 2015, hosting of the tournament alternated between traditional rugby heartlands in the southern hemisphere and those in Europe. Wales was the primary host in 1999, with Cardiff's Millennium Stadium built to coincide with the event, and the other three tournaments played in Europe have also used venues in Wales to some degree. Cardiff's Millennium Stadium and its predecessor, the Cardiff Arms Park, will have hosted a total 21 matches over a total of four World Cups. This is the largest number of World Cup games hosted by one venue.
The 1987 tournament was Wales' most successful; they won all three pool matches and their quarter-final, before losing to New Zealand in the semi-finals. They then faced Australia in the third place play-off match, which they won 22–21. [1] In the next two tournaments in 1991 and 1995, Wales failed to progress beyond the pool stage, winning just one match in each tournament. [2] Both the 1999 and 2003 tournaments were more successful, with Wales qualifying for the quarter-finals both times. Wales hosted the event in 1999 and topped their pool only to lose to eventual winners Australia in the quarter-finals. [3] In 2003, they finished second in their pool to New Zealand and faced England in the quarter-finals, where they lost to the eventual champions, despite scoring more tries than their opponents. [4] In the 2007 World Cup, Wales again failed to progress from the pool stage. After a loss to Australia, and two wins against Japan and Canada, they lost by four points to Fiji, despite scoring more tries than their opponents. [5] At the 2011 World Cup, Wales reached the semi-finals for the first time since 1987. Playing the semi-finals against France, Wales lost 9–8, in a game overshadowed by the 18th-minute sending off of Wales' captain Sam Warburton for a dangerous tackle against Vincent Clerc. [6] At the 2015 World Cup Wales were in the same pool as Australia, England, Fiji and Uruguay. They finished second in the pool behind Australia and ahead of hosts England. South Africa defeated Wales in the quarter-final. In the 2019 World Cup, Wales were in pool D with Australia, Fiji, Georgia and Uruguay. They won all their group matches to finish top of the pool. After defeating France in the quarter-final, they lost to the eventual tournament winners South Africa in the semi-final.
Rugby World Cup record | Qualification | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Year | Round | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | Squad | Head coach | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1987 | Third place | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 126 | 104 | Squad | T. Gray | Invited | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1991 | Pool stage | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 32 | 61 | Squad | A. Davies | Automatically qualified | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1995 | Pool stage | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 89 | 68 | Squad | A. Evans | 1st | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 156 | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1999 | Quarter-finals | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 127 | 95 | Squad | G. Henry | Automatically qualified | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2003 | Quarter-finals | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 149 | 126 | Squad | S. Hansen | Automatically qualified | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2007 | Pool stage | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 168 | 105 | Squad | G. Jenkins | Automatically qualified | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2011 | Fourth place | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 228 | 74 | Squad | W. Gatland | Automatically qualified | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2015 | Quarter-finals | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 130 | 85 | Squad | W. Gatland | Automatically qualified | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2019 | Fourth place | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 189 | 147 | Squad | W. Gatland | Automatically qualified | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2023 | Quarter-finals | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 160 | 88 | Squad | W. Gatland | Automatically qualified | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total | — | 49 | 30 | 0 | 19 | 1398 | 953 | — | — | — | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 156 | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | T | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wales | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 82 | 31 | +51 | 13 | 6 | Knockout stage |
Ireland | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 84 | 41 | +43 | 11 | 4 | |
Canada | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 65 | 91 | −26 | 8 | 2 | |
Tonga | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 30 | 98 | −68 | 3 | 0 |
25 May 1987 |
Ireland | 6–13 [7] | Wales |
Pen: Kiernan (2) | Try: Ring Pen: Thorburn Drop: Davies (2) |
Athletic Park, Wellington Attendance: 15,000 Referee: Kerry Fitzgerald (Australia) |
29 May 1987 |
Tonga | 16–29 [8] | Wales |
Try: Fielea Fifita Con: Liavaʻa Pen: Liava'a Amone | Try: Webbe (3) Hadley Con: Thorburn (2) Pen: Thorburn (2) Drop: Davies |
Showgrounds Oval, Palmerston North Attendance: 19,000 Referee: Dave Bishop (New Zealand) |
3 June 1987 |
Canada | 9–40 [9] [10] | Wales |
Pen: Rees (3) | Try: Evans (4) Devereux Bowen Hadley Phillips Con: Thorburn (4) |
Rugby Park, Invercargill Attendance: 14,000 Referee: Dave Bishop (New Zealand) |
England was billed as the main host of the second tournament in 1991, hosting the opening ceremony, and final, though the hosting duties were shared between all countries which competed in the Five Nations Championship. France hosted eight games, England and Wales each hosted seven, and Scotland and Ireland five. The National Stadium in Cardiff hosted the third place playoff, whilst all of Pool C's matches were played in Wales. Wales were scheduled to feature in this pool, and all three of their pool matches were hosted in the National Stadium. One game each was played at the club grounds of Pontypridd, Pontypool and Llanelli.
The following Welsh stadiums were used:
City | Stadium | Capacity |
---|---|---|
Cardiff | National Stadium, Cardiff Arms Park | 53,000 |
Llanelli | Stradey Park | 10,800 |
Pontypool | Pontypool Park | 8,800 |
Pontypridd | Sardis Road | 7,200 |
6 October 1991 |
Wales | 13–16 | Western Samoa |
Try: Emyr Evans Con: Ring Pen: Ring | Try: Vaega Vaifale Con: Vaea Pen: Vaea (2) |
Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff Referee: Patrick Robin (France) |
9 October 1991 |
Wales | 16–7 | Argentina |
Try: Arnold Pen: Ring (3) Rayer | Try: García Simón Pen: Del Castillo |
Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff Referee: Rene Hourquet (France) |
12 October 1991 |
Wales | 3–38 | Australia |
Pen: Ring | Try: Roebuck (2) Slattery Campese Horan Lynagh Con: Lynagh (4) Pen: Lynagh (2) |
Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff Referee: Keith Lawrence (New Zealand) |
Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australia | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 79 | 25 | +54 | 6 |
Western Samoa | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 54 | 34 | +20 | 4 |
Wales | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 32 | 61 | −29 | 2 |
Argentina | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 38 | 83 | −45 | 0 |
27 May 1995 |
Japan | 10–57 | Wales |
Try: Ota (2) | Try: G. Thomas (3) I. Evans (2) Moore Taylor Con: N. Jenkins (5) Pen: N. Jenkins (4) |
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein Attendance: 12,000 Referee: Efrahim Sklar (Argentina) |
31 May 1995 |
New Zealand | 34–9 | Wales |
Try: Marc Ellis Walter Little Josh Kronfeld Con: Andrew Mehrtens (2) Pen: Andrew Mehrtens (4) Drop: Andrew Mehrtens | Pen: Neil Jenkins (2) Drop: Neil Jenkins |
Ellis Park, Johannesburg Attendance: 38,000 Referee: Ed Morrison (England) |
4 June 1995 |
Ireland | 24–23 | Wales |
Try: Eddie Halvey Nick Popplewell Denis McBride Con: Eric Elwood (3) Pen: Eric Elwood | Try: Jonathan Humphreys Hemi Taylor Con: Neil Jenkins (2) Pen: Neil Jenkins (2) Drop: Adrian Davies |
Ellis Park, Johannesburg Attendance: 35,000 Referee: Ian Rogers (South Africa) |
Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New Zealand | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 222 | 45 | +177 | 9 |
Ireland | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 93 | 94 | −1 | 7 |
Wales | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 89 | 68 | +21 | 5 |
Japan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 55 | 252 | −197 | 3 |
Wales was chosen by the International Rugby Board as the principal host for the 1999 event. The centrepiece venue of the tournament, hosting the opening ceremony and final was the Millennium Stadium, a new structure built on the site of the old National Stadium at Cardiff Arms Park at a cost of £126 million from private investment. An agreement was reached with the unions of all four rivals in the Five Nations Championship (England, France, Ireland and Scotland), so that, like 1991, the majority of the matches would take place outside the official host nation. In a unique tournament format there were five pools in the opening round. Each of the five unions competed in a separate pool, and acted as host for all of the matches within that pool. All Pool A games were held in Scotland, Pool B games in England, Pool C games in France and Pool E games in Ireland.
Wales hosted Pool D, also featuring Argentina, Samoa and Japan. Four of the pool games were at the Millennium Stadium, with one match each at Stradey Park, Llanelli's rugby stadium, and at The Racecourse, Wrexham, which usually featured Association Football.
Of eleven knock-out games, the Millennium Stadium only hosted three; Australia's defeat of Wales in the quarter-final stage, and the third place play-off and final. The other fixtures were played for at a variety of European venues.
The following Welsh stadiums were used:
City | Stadium | Capacity |
---|---|---|
Cardiff | Millennium Stadium | 74,500 |
Wrexham | Racecourse Ground | 15,500 |
Llanelli | Stradey Park | 10,800 |
1 October 1999 |
Wales | 23–18 | Argentina |
Try: Colin Charvis Mark Taylor Con: Neil Jenkins (2) Pen: Neil Jenkins (3) | Pen: Gonzalo Quesada (6) |
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Referee: Paddy O'Brien (New Zealand) |
9 October 1999 |
Wales | 64–15 | Japan |
Try: Mark Taylor (2) Robert Howley Scott Gibbs David Llewellyn Gareth Thomas Allan Bateman Shane Howarth Con: Neil Jenkins (8) Pen: Neil Jenkins | Try: Patiliai Tuidraki Daisuke Ohata Con: Keiji Hirose Pen: Keiji Hirose |
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Referee: Joel Dume (France) |
14 October 1999 |
Wales | 31–38 | Samoa |
Try: Gareth Thomas Penalty try (2) Con: Neil Jenkins (2) Pen: Neil Jenkins (4) | Try: Stephen Bachop (2) Lio Falaniko Pat Lam Silao Leaega Con: Silao Leaega Pen: Silao Leaega |
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Referee: Ed Morrison (England) |
Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wales | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 118 | 71 | +47 | 7 |
Samoa | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 97 | 72 | +25 | 7 |
Argentina | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 83 | 51 | +32 | 7 |
Japan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 36 | 140 | −104 | 3 |
23 October 1999 |
Wales | 9–24 | Australia |
Pen: Neil Jenkins (3) | Try: George Gregan (2) Ben Tune Con: Matt Burke (3) Pen: Matt Burke |
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 74,499 Referee: Colin Hawke (New Zealand) |
12 October 2003 |
Wales | 41–10 | Canada |
Try: Parker Cooper M. Jones Charvis Thomas Con: Harris (5) Pen: Harris (2) | Try: Tkachuk Con: Pritchard Drop: Ross |
Telstra Dome, Melbourne Attendance: 24,874 Referee: Chris White (England) |
19 October 2003 |
Wales | 27–20 | Tonga |
Try: Cooper M. Williams Con: S. Jones Pen: S. Jones (4) Drop: M. Williams | Try: Hola Kivalu Lavaka Con: Hola Pen: Hola |
Canberra Stadium Attendance: 19,806 Referee: Paul Honiss (New Zealand) |
25 October 2003 |
Italy | 15–27 | Wales |
Pen: Wakarua (5) | Try: M. Jones Parker D. Jones Con: Harris (3) Pen: Harris (3) |
Canberra Stadium Attendance: 22,641 Referee: Andrew Cole (Australia) |
2 November 2003 |
New Zealand | 53–37 | Wales |
Try: Rokocoko (2) MacDonald Williams Howlett (2) Spencer Mauger Con: MacDonald (5) Pen: MacDonald | Try: Taylor Parker Charvis S. Williams Con: S. Jones (4) Pen: S. Jones (3) |
Telstra Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 80,012 Referee: André Watson (South Africa) |
Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | BP | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New Zealand | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 282 | 57 | +225 | 4 | 20 | Quarter-finals |
Wales | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 132 | 98 | +34 | 2 | 14 | |
Italy | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 77 | 123 | −46 | 0 | 8 | |
Canada | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 54 | 135 | −81 | 1 | 5 | |
Tonga | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 46 | 178 | −132 | 1 | 1 |
9 November 2003 |
England | 28–17 | Wales |
Try: Greenwood 44' c Con: Wilkinson Pen: Wilkinson (6) Drop: Wilkinson 80+1' | Try: S. Jones 30' m Charvis 35' m M. Williams 71' c Con: Harris |
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Attendance: 45,252 Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland) |
In a more public bidding process, France beat England to win the right to host the 2007 World Cup. The WRU supported the French bid, in accordance with an agreement between the nations over the 1999 cup. [11] As a result of that agreement, World Cup rugby returned to the Millennium Stadium for three pool matches (including two featuring Wales), and a quarter-final.
Ironically, as France were unexpected runners-up to Argentina in their group, the hosts found themselves competing in this, the only knock-out match held outside of their borders. The game was one of the highlights of the tournament, notable for a large number of reasons, though largely for being New Zealand's earliest exit from a Rugby World Cup, after the New Zealand Herald ran the hubristic headline 'France pose absolutely no threat to All Blacks'. [12] The French squad's reply to the Haka, where the squad dressed in red, white and blue shirts, drew some attention, with a number of images of Sebastien Chabal's stony face appearing in the media the following day. [13] Several controversial decisions by referee Wayne Barnes, [14] provoked death threats from some fans. [15] Statistical analysis by New Zealand company Verusco showed the match's playing time, that is time the ball is in play, was the longest of any of the 1,500 games they had ever recorded. [16]
City | Country | Stadium | Capacity | Further reading |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cardiff | Wales | Millennium Stadium | 73,350 | Overview |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | B | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Australia | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 215 | 41 | +174 | 4 | 20 | Qualified for the quarter-finals |
2 | Fiji | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 114 | 136 | −22 | 3 | 15 | |
3 | Wales | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 168 | 105 | +63 | 4 | 12 | Eliminated, automatic qualification for RWC 2011 |
4 | Japan | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 64 | 210 | −146 | 1 | 3 | |
5 | Canada | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 51 | 120 | −69 | 0 | 2 |
9 September 2007 14:00 |
Wales | 42–17 | Canada |
Try: Parker 52' c A. W. Jones 58' c S. Williams (2) 61' m, 63' c Charvis 68' c Con: S. Jones (4/5) Pen: Hook (3/4) 10', 15', 21' | Report | Try: Cudmore 25' m Culpan 36' c Williams 45' m Con: Pritchard (1/3) |
Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes Attendance: 37,500 Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland) |
15 September 2007 14:00 |
Wales | 20–32 | Australia |
Try: J. Thomas 45' c S. Williams 76' c Con: Hook (2/2) Pen: S. Jones (1/3) 7' Hook (1/2) 54' | Report | Try: Giteau 16' c Mortlock 35' m Latham (2) 40+' c, 60' c Con: Mortlock (2/2) Giteau (1/2) Pen: Mortlock (1/2) 2' Drop: Barnes (1/1) 23' |
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 71,022 Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand) |
20 September 2007 21:00 |
Wales | 72–18 | Japan |
Try: A. W. Jones 11' c Hook 24' c R. Thomas 31' c Morgan 40+' m Phillips 42' c S. Williams (2) 48' m, 80' m D. James 52' c Cooper 59' c M. Williams (2) 64' c, 74' c Con: S. Jones (5/7) Sweeney (2/4) Pen: S. Jones (1/1) 23' | Report | Try: Endo 19' m Onozawa 57' c Con: Robins (1/1) Pen: Onishi (2/2) 4', 37' |
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 35,245 Referee: Joël Jutge (France) |
29 September 2007 17:00 |
Wales | 34–38 | Fiji |
Try: Popham 34' c S. Williams 45' c G. Thomas 48' m M. Jones 51' c M. Williams 73' m Con: Hook (1/1) S. Jones (2/4) Pen: S. Jones (1/2) 5' | Report | Try: Qera 16' c Delasau 19' m Leawere 25' c Dewes 77' c Con: Little (3/4) Pen: Little (4/5) 21', 24', 54', 60' |
Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes Attendance: 37,080 Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia) |
11 September 2011 20:30 |
South Africa | 17–16 | Wales |
Try: F. Steyn 3' c Hougaard 65' c Con: M. Steyn (2/2) Pen: M. Steyn (1/1) 20' | Report | Try: Faletau 54' c Con: Hook (1/1) Pen: Hook (3/5) 10', 32', 50' |
Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington Attendance: 33,331 Referee: Wayne Barnes (England) |
18 September 2011 15:30 |
Wales | 17–10 | Samoa |
Try: Sh. Williams 67' m Pen: Hook (2/3) 12', 27' Priestland (2/2) 43', 66' | Report | Try: Perenise 40+' c Con: Williams (1/1) Pen: Williams (1/3) 21' |
Waikato Stadium, Hamilton Attendance: 30,804 Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland) |
26 September 2011 19:30 |
Wales | 81–7 | Namibia |
Try: Sc. Williams (3) 8' m, 47' c, 70' c Brew 14' c Faletau 18' c Jenkins 50' c North (2) 61' c, 66' c J. Davies 62' c L. Williams 75' m Byrne 77' m A.W. Jones 80+' c Con: S. Jones (6/7) Priestland (3/5) Pen: S. Jones (1/1) 3' | Report | Try: Koll 53' c Con: Kotzé (1/1) |
Stadium Taranaki, New Plymouth Attendance: 13,710 Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia) |
2 October 2011 18:00 |
Wales | 66–0 | Fiji |
Try: Roberts (2) 6' c, 51' c Sc. Williams 17' c North 32' c Warburton 39' c Burns 59' c Halfpenny 68' c L. Williams 73' c J. Davies 80+' c Con: Priestland (5/5) S. Jones (4/4) Pen: Priestland (1/1) 21' | Report |
Waikato Stadium, Hamilton Attendance: 28,476 Referee: Wayne Barnes (England) |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | T | B | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | South Africa | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 166 | 24 | +142 | 21 | 2 | 18 | Advanced to the quarter-finals and qualified for the 2015 Rugby World Cup |
2 | Wales | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 180 | 34 | +146 | 23 | 3 | 15 | |
3 | Samoa | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 91 | 49 | +42 | 9 | 2 | 10 | Eliminated but qualified for 2015 Rugby World Cup |
4 | Fiji | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 59 | 167 | −108 | 7 | 1 | 5 | |
5 | Namibia | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 44 | 266 | −222 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
8 October 2011 18:00 NZDT (UTC+13) |
Ireland | 10–22 | Wales |
Try: Earls 45' c Con: O'Gara (1/1) Pen: O'Gara (1/1) 24' | Report | Try: Williams 3' c Phillips 51' m J. Davies 64' c Con: Priestland (2/3) Pen: Halfpenny (1/1) 29' |
Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington Attendance: 35,787 Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa) |
21 October 2011 20:30 NZDT (UTC+13) |
Wales | 18–21 | Australia |
Try: Shane Williams 50' m Halfpenny 80+' c Con: S. Jones (1/1) Pen: Hook (1/2) 20' S. Jones (1/1) 71' | Report | 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) |
In 2009 England were awarded the rights to stage the 2015 tournament. Owing to the proximity of Cardiff, the RFU made it clear that they intended to use the Millennium Stadium as part of its bid, [17] despite initial reluctance from the IRB for multiple hosting nations. [18] The Millennium Stadium hosted eight games in the tournament, more than in any previous world cup. These include two quarter-finals. This made Cardiff the only venue hosting knock-out matches with the exception of England's national stadium, Twickenham, as well as the venue with the second highest number of games. As Wales and England were drawn in the same group, Wales only had home advantage for two of their games, against Uruguay and Fiji.
Cardiff used the World Cup to promote tourism in the city, [19] with estimates that the games would add over £300 million to the local economy. [20] A 'Fan Zone' had been created within the grounds of Cardiff Arms Park with a large screen, for enjoying match days. [21] Cardiff Council has commissioned an art installation to mark the tournament, grafting a rugby ball to the prominent Cardiff Castle, to make it appear the ball has smashed straight through the wall. [22] This was similar to a publicity stunt from the 2007 World Cup, where a rugby ball hung from the centre of the Eiffel Tower. No other such sculptures had been created in the other 2015 venue cities.
City | Country | Stadium | Capacity | Further reading |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cardiff | Wales | Millennium Stadium | 73,350 | Overview |
20 September 2015 14:30 |
Wales | 54–9 | Uruguay |
Try: Lee 15' c Allen (3) 19' c, 30' c, 40' c Amos 50' c Davies (2) 60' m, 80' c Tipuric 71' c Con: Priestland (7/8) 16', 19', 30', 40', 51', 72', 80' | Report | Pen: Berchesi (3/4) 2', 9', 24' |
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 71,887 Referee: Romain Poite (France) |
26 September 2015 20:00 |
England | 25–28 | Wales |
Try: May 27' c Con: Farrell (1/1) 29' Pen: Farrell (5/5) 12', 24', 44', 52', 69' Drop: Farrell 18' | Report | Try: G. Davies 71' c Con: Biggar (1/1) 72' Pen: Biggar (7/7) 3', 16', 40', 48', 54', 59', 75' |
Twickenham Stadium, London Attendance: 81,129 Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France) |
1 October 2015 16:45 |
Wales | 23–13 | Fiji |
Try: G. Davies 7' c Baldwin 32' c Con: Biggar (2/2) 8', 34' Pen: Biggar (3/3) 21', 55', 69' | Report | Try: Goneva 49' c Con: Volavola (1/1) 50' Pen: Volavola (2/2) 14', 38' |
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 71,576 Referee: John Lacey (Ireland) |
10 October 2015 16:45 |
Australia | 15–6 | Wales |
Pen: Foley (5/6) 25', 31', 37', 51', 73' | 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 |
17 October 2015 16:00 BST (UTC+01) |
South Africa | 23–19 | Wales |
Try: Du Preez 75' m Pen: Pollard (5/7) 9', 13', 17', 21', 62' Drop: Pollard 52' | Report [23] | Try: G. Davies 18' c Con: Biggar (1/1) 19' Pen: Biggar (3/4) 15', 47', 64' Drop: Biggar 40' |
Twickenham Stadium, London Attendance: 79,572 Referee: Wayne Barnes (England) |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | T | B | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Wales | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 136 | 69 | +67 | 17 | 3 | 19 | Advanced to the quarter-finals and qualified for the 2023 Rugby World Cup |
2 | Australia | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 136 | 68 | +68 | 20 | 4 | 16 | |
3 | Fiji | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 110 | 108 | +2 | 17 | 3 | 7 | Eliminated but qualified for 2023 Rugby World Cup |
4 | Georgia | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 65 | 122 | −57 | 9 | 1 | 5 | |
5 | Uruguay | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 60 | 140 | −80 | 6 | 0 | 4 |
23 September 2019 19:15 JST (UTC+09) |
(1 BP) Wales | 43–14 | Georgia |
Try: J. Davies 3' m Tipuric 13' c Adams 19' c L. Williams 40' c T. Williams 65' c North 76' c Con: Biggar (4/5) 14', 20', 40', 66' Halfpenny (1/1) 77' Pen: Biggar (1/1) 7' | Report | Try: Mamukashvili 43' c Chilachava 69' c Con: Abzhandadze (2/2) 44', 70' |
City of Toyota Stadium, Toyota Attendance: 35,546 Referee: Luke Pearce (England) |
29 September 2019 16:45 JST (UTC+09) |
(1 BP) Australia | 25–29 | Wales |
Try: Ashley-Cooper 21' m Haylett-Petty 46' c Hooper 62' c Con: To'omua (2/2) 48', 63' Pen: Foley (1/1) 29' To'omua (1/1) 68' | Report | Try: Parkes 13' c G. Davies 38' c Con: Biggar (1/1) 14' Patchell (1/1) 39' Pen: Patchell (3/3) 33', 37', 72' Drop: Biggar (1/2) 1' Patchell (1/1) 44' |
Tokyo Stadium, Chōfu Attendance: 47,885 Referee: Romain Poite (France) |
9 October 2019 18:45 JST (UTC+09) |
(1 BP) Wales | 29–17 | Fiji |
Try: Adams (3) 18' c, 31' c, 61' m L. Williams 69' m Con: Biggar (2/2) 20', 32' Pen: Patchell (1/1) 58' | Report | Try: Tuisova 4' m Murimurivalu 9' m Penalty try 54' |
Oita Stadium, Ōita Attendance: 33,379 Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France) |
13 October 2019 17:15 JST (UTC+09) |
(1 BP) Wales | 35–13 | Uruguay |
Try: Smith 17' c Adams 49' c Penalty try 66' T Williams 74' c G. Davies 85' c Con: Halfpenny (4/4) 18' 50' 75' 86' | Report | Try: Kessler 71' c Con: Berchesi 72' Pen: Berchesi (2/2) 22' 39' |
Kumamoto Stadium, Kumamoto Attendance: 27,317 Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia) |
20 October 2019 16:15 JST (UTC+09) |
Wales | 20–19 | France |
Try: Wainwright 12' c Moriarty 74' c Con: Biggar (2/2) 13' 75' Pen: Biggar (2/2) 20' 54' | Report | Try: Vahaamahina 5' m Ollivon 8' c Vakatawa 31' c Con: Ntamack (2/3) 9' 32' |
Ōita Stadium, Ōita Attendance: 34,426 Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa) |
27 October 2019 18:00 JST (UTC+09) |
Wales | 16–19 | South Africa |
Try: Adams 65' c Con: Halfpenny (1/1) 66' Pen: Biggar (3/3) 18', 39', 46' | Report | Try: de Allende 57' c Con: Pollard (1/1) 58' Pen: Pollard (4/4) 15', 20', 35', 76' |
International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama Attendance: 67,750 Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France) |
1 November 2019 18:00 JST (UTC+09) |
New Zealand | 40–17 | Wales |
Try: Moody 5' c B. Barrett 13' c B. Smith (2) 33' c, 40+1' c Crotty 42' c Mo'unga 76' m Con: Mo'unga (5/6) 7', 14', 34', 40+2', 44' | Report | Try: Amos 19' c Adams 59' c Con: Patchell (1/1) 21' Biggar (1/1) 61' Pen: Patchell (1/1) 27' |
Tokyo Stadium, Chōfu Attendance: 48,842 Referee: Wayne Barnes (England) |
Opponent | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | % Won |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Argentina | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 56 | 54 | 66.67 |
Australia | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 147 | 182 | 37.5 |
Canada | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 123 | 36 | 100 |
England | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 61 | 56 | 66.67 |
Fiji | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 184 | 94 | 80 |
France | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 28 | 28 | 50 |
Georgia | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 86 | 33 | 100 |
Ireland | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 58 | 40 | 66.67 |
Italy | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 15 | 100 |
Japan | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 193 | 43 | 100 |
Namibia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 81 | 7 | 100 |
New Zealand | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 69 | 176 | 0 |
Portugal | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 8 | 100 |
Samoa | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 61 | 64 | 33.33 |
South Africa | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 35 | 40 | 0 |
Tonga | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 36 | 100 |
Uruguay | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 89 | 22 | 100 |
Total | 49 | 30 | 0 | 19 | 1382 | 934 | 61.22 |
The Men's Rugby World Cup is a rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams, the winners of which are recognised as the World champions of the sport.
The 1999 Rugby World Cup, was the fourth Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial international rugby union championship, the first World Cup to be held in the sport's professional era.
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003, beating a bid from England. The competition consisted of 48 matches over 44 days; 42 matches were played in 10 cities throughout France, as well as four in Cardiff, Wales, and two in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The 1987 Rugby World Cup was the first Rugby World Cup. It was co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia – New Zealand hosted 21 matches while Australia hosted 11 matches. The tournament was won by New Zealand, who were the strong favourites and won all their matches comfortably. New Zealand defeated France 29–9 in the final at Eden Park in Auckland. The New Zealand team was captained by David Kirk and included such rugby greats as Sean Fitzpatrick, John Kirwan, Grant Fox and Michael Jones. Wales finished third, and Australia fourth, after conceding crucial tries in the dying seconds of both their semi-final against France and the third-place play-off against Wales.
The 1991 Rugby World Cup was the second edition of the Rugby World Cup, and was jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France: at the time, the five European countries who participated in the Five Nations Championship. This was the first Rugby World Cup to be staged in the northern hemisphere, with England the hosts of the final. Also for the first time, qualifying competitions were introduced as the number of entrants had increased, from 16 nations four years earlier, to 33 countries. The eight quarter-finalists from 1987 qualified automatically with the remaining eight spots contested through qualifiers by 25 countries. This resulted in only one new side qualifying for the tournament, Western Samoa replacing Tonga. The same 16-team pool/knock-out format was used with just minor changes to the points system. South Africa was again not included because of sanctions imposed on the country by the International Rugby Board (IRB), due to the government's apartheid policies.
The 2011 Rugby World Cup, was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board (IRB) selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005. The tournament was won by New Zealand, who defeated France 8–7 in the final. The defending champions, South Africa, were eliminated by Australia 11–9 in the quarter-finals. The result marked the third time that the tournament was won by the country that hosted the event.
The IRB2015 Rugby World Cup was the eighth Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial rugby union world championship. The tournament was hosted by England from 18 September to 31 October. Of the 20 countries competing in the World Cup in 2011, there was only one change: Uruguay replaced Russia. This was the first World Cup with no new teams to the tournament.
The first Rugby Union World Cup was held in 1987, hosted by Australia and New Zealand who pushed for the tournament to be approved. Since the first tournament, 9 others have been held at four-year intervals.
The Rugby World Cup host nation for both men and women is selected by World Rugby at a meeting six years before each tournament. Each of the Men's Rugby World Cups from 1987 to 2015 were hosted by countries that are considered the traditional powers in World Rugby. The first non Rugby Championship or Six Nations country to host a Rugby World Cup was Japan in 2019, after failed bids for the 2011 and 2015 tournaments. The women's version of the Rugby World Cup, which is known as the Women's Rugby World Cup, was first held in 1991, alternating with even-numbered non-leap years from 1994 to 2014 before switching to odd-numbered years from 2017 onwards.
The Australia national rugby union team, known as the Wallabies, has played in all ten Rugby World Cup tournaments. They have won the World Cup on two occasions; only New Zealand and South Africa have won more. Australia has hosted or co-hosted the tournament twice – in 1987 and 2003, and is scheduled to host it in 2027.
The England national team have competed in every Rugby World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1987. They have played 57 matches in ten tournaments, and won 42 for a winning record of 73.68%. Their best ever position was champions in 2003, whilst they have also participated in three other finals; the 2019 final, the 2007 final and the final of the 1991 competition. They have beaten one country five times, Argentina and three countries four times; Australia, United States and Samoa. Their worst record is against South Africa, who have defeated them in five of their six encounters.
The 2019 Rugby World Cup was the ninth edition of the Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's rugby union teams. It was hosted in Japan from 20 September to 2 November in 12 venues all across the country. The opening match was played at Ajinomoto Stadium in Chōfu, Tokyo, with the final match being held at International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama. This was the first time that the tournament had taken place in Asia and outside the traditional Tier 1 rugby nations.
Scotland have played in every Rugby World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1987.
Argentina have competed in all the Rugby World Cup tournaments, starting with the inaugural 1987 tournament.
The France national rugby team have competed in every Rugby World Cup since the tournament began in 1987. They are one of five teams who have played in the final match, having done so three times, losing and finishing second in the tournament each time. They have made it to at least the quarter-finals at every tournament.
The Ireland national rugby union team have played in all ten Rugby World Cup tournaments. They have reached the quarter-finals at all but two tournaments, but have yet to progress to the semi-finals. They have finished top of their pool on three occasions.
The Japan national team have competed in every Rugby World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1987. They are so far the only team to reach the Rugby World Cup through Asian regional qualifying. In 2019, they progressed to the quarterfinals for the first time in their participation, making them the first Asian team to do so in the tournament.
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Union and Rugby World Cup Limited. The pre-event favourites were England, regarded by many at the time as the best team in the world. New Zealand, France, South Africa and defending champions Australia were also expected to make strong showings, with New Zealand being second favourites after victory in the southern-hemisphere Tri-Nations championship.
The 2017 Rugby League World Cup was the fifteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup tournament and took place in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea between 27 October and 2 December 2017. The tournament featured the national teams of 14 Rugby League International Federation member countries who qualified through either standing in the previous tournament or a series of qualification play-off matches. In the final, defending champions Australia, playing in their 14th consecutive final, defeated England at Brisbane's Lang Park.
The 2001 Cardiff Sevens was a rugby sevens tournament that took place at the Rodney Parade with the finals being held at the Millennium Stadium. It took place between 2–3 June 2001 and was the first edition of the Cardiff Sevens and the final round of the 2000–01 World Sevens Series.