The Rugby World Cup is a men's rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams. The tournament is administered by World Rugby, the sport's international governing body. The winners are awarded the Webb Ellis Cup, named after William Webb Ellis, who according to a popular legend, invented rugby by picking up the ball during a football game.
The tournament was first held in 1987 and was co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia. Four countries have won the trophy; New Zealand and South Africa three times, Australia twice, and England once. South Africa are the current champions, having defeated England in the 2019 tournament final.
Sixteen teams participated in the tournament from 1987 until 1995; since 1999, twenty teams have participated in each tournament.
Results[]
| Year | Host(s) | Champions | Result and venue | Runners-up | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Australia New Zealand |
New Zealand | 29–9 Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand |
France | |
| 1991 | England France Ireland Scotland Wales |
Australia | 12–6 Twickenham Stadium, London, England |
England | |
| 1995 | South Africa | South Africa | 15–12 Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg |
New Zealand | Score was 9–9 after 80 minutes. |
| 1999 | Wales | Australia | 35–12 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff |
France | |
| 2003 | Australia | England | 20–17 Stadium Australia, Sydney |
Australia | Score was 14–14 after 80 minutes. |
| 2007 | France | South Africa | 15–6 Stade de France, Saint-Denis |
England | |
| 2011 | New Zealand | New Zealand | 8–7 Eden Park, Auckland |
France | |
| 2015 | England | New Zealand | 34–17 Twickenham Stadium, London |
Australia | |
| 2019 | Japan | South Africa | 32–12 International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama |
England | |
| 2023 | France | South Africa | 12–11 Stade de France, Saint-Denis |
New Zealand | |
| 2027 | Australia | TBD | TBD–TBD TBA |
TBD | |
| 2031 | United States | TBD | TBD–TBD TBA |
TBD |
Broadcasters[]
as of 2023
| Country | Broadcaster(s) |
|---|---|
| Caribbean | ESPN |
| Indian subcontinent | Sony Sports Network |
| Latin America | ESPN, Star+ |
| Middle East and North Africa | Starz |
| Nordic countries | Viaplay |
| Southeast Asia | beIN Sports |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | SuperSport, New World TV |
| Argentina | Televisión Pública |
| Australia | Stan Sport, Nine Network |
| Austria | ProSieben |
| Belgium | Play Sports |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina Croatia Montenegro North Macedonia Serbia Slovenia |
Sport Klub |
| Brazil | ESPN |
| Bulgaria | BNT |
| Canada | TSN |
| Chile | Mega |
| Cook Islands | Cook Islands Television |
| Czech Republic | ČT |
| Estonia Latvia Lithuania |
Go3 Sport |
| Fiji | Fiji TV |
| France | TF1, France Télévisions, M6 |
| Georgia | GPB |
| Germany | ProSieben Maxx, ran.de, Joyn |
| India | FanCode |
| Ireland | RTÉ, Virgin Media |
| Israel | Sport1 |
| Italy San Marino |
RAI, Sky Sport |
| Japan | J Sports, Nippon TV, NHK |
| Malaysia | RTM |
| Namibia | NBC |
| Netherlands | Ziggo Sport |
| New Zealand | Sky Sport, Sky Open, Stuff |
| Papua New Guinea | EM TV |
| Poland | Polsat Sport |
| Portugal | RTP, Sport TV |
| Romania | Digi Sport, Orange Sport |
| Samoa | SBC |
| Solomon Islands | TTV |
| South Africa | SABC |
| South Korea | Coupang Play |
| Spain Andorra |
Movistar Plus+ |
| Sri Lanka | MTV |
| Switzerland Liechtenstein |
SRG SSR |
| Tonga | TBC |
| Turkey | S Sport |
| United Kingdom | ITV, STV, S4C |
| United States | NBC Sports |
| Uruguay | Canal 10, Teledoce |
| Vanuatu | VBTC |