World Rugby, 1987 - Present

World Rugby is the world governing and Law making body for the Game of Rugby Union. World Rugby also organises men's and women's major events including Rugby World Cup, HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and Rugby World Cup Sevens, as well as U20 Championships. 

Rugby World Cup (men's) is firmly established as one of the greatest sporting events on the planet, with the most iconic players and teams in world rugby coming together every four years to compete for the Webb Ellis Cup.

• + 1987 New Zealand & Australia hosted the inaugural Rugby World Cup, won by the All Blacks.
• + 1991 Australia triumphed upsetting hosts England in a tight affair at Twickenham.
• + 1995 Hosted and won by South Africa, was more than just a sporting event for the rainbow nation and president Nelson Mandela.
• + 1999 Australia regained The Webb Ellis Cup, beating two-time runners up France at the Millennium Stadium.
• + 2003 Remembered for a famous drop goal, scored by Jonny Wilkinson, which secured a dramatic first victory for England.
• + 2007 South Africa became the second team to win the tournament twice, returning the Cup to the Southern Hemisphere.
• + 2011 In a repeat of the final in 1987, New Zealand defeated France by 1 point in Auckland.
• + 2015 Hosts New Zealand defeated Australia in their first meeting in a Rugby World Cup final to become the only team to have lifted the Webb Ellis Cup on three occasions.
• + 2019 South Africa lifted the Webb Ellis Cup for the third time in Japan, defeating England in the final.

The most recent edition of the Rugby World Cup (women’s) took place in 2017. It was a “special and ground-breaking” event as New Zealand lifted the coveted trophy after a pulsating final, bringing down the curtain on a tournament that broke records on and off the field.

HSBC Sevens Series | Rugby sevens made its debut at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, and the ongoing success and growth of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series have moved the sport into the global spotlight as it continues to grow beyond the traditional rugby heartlands.

Rugby World Cup Sevens | The most recent edition was played in 2018 at the iconic AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. The tournament featured the best 24 men’s and 16 women’s teams from around the world and it was the first time a Rugby World Cup event has ever been held on US soil.

World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: “The World Rugby U20 Championship is a proven finishing school for aspiring international players, with some of the biggest names in the game having graduated amongst a group of more than 550 internationals, including double World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year Beauden Barrett.