Rugby World Cup

History

The inaugural Rugby World Cup was held in 1987, jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand. It was a watershed moment for a sport that had resisted the idea of a global championship for decades. New Zealand won that first tournament, and the event immediately established itself as one of the great gatherings of international sport. Since then, the World Cup has grown into a six-week spectacle that commands global television audiences and fills stadiums across the host nation.

The tournament has been hosted across both hemispheres, from the established rugby strongholds of the British Isles and the southern hemisphere to Japan in 2019 — a decision that did much to broaden the game’s geographical reach. France hosted the most recent edition in 2023, delivering a tournament widely praised for its organisation and atmosphere.

Format

Twenty teams qualify for the World Cup, drawn into four pools of five. Each team plays the four others in its pool, with the top two from each group advancing to the quarter-finals. From there it is a straight knockout: quarter-finals, semi-finals, a bronze final and the final itself.

Pool matches award four points for a win, two for a draw and none for a defeat, with bonus points available for scoring four or more tries or losing by seven points or fewer. The knockout stages, naturally, demand outright winners, with extra time and, if necessary, a kicking competition used to settle drawn matches.

All-Time Winners

South Africa lead the all-time tally with four titles, followed by New Zealand with three. Australia and England have each lifted the Webb Ellis Cup once (Australia twice, England once).

2023 Recap: South Africa in France

South Africa claimed a record fourth World Cup title in France, defeating New Zealand in a tense final at the Stade de France. The Springboks’ campaign was built on an enormously powerful forward pack, tactical kicking discipline and a bench rotation strategy that effectively introduced a second starting XV in the closing stages of matches. Their path to the final included a dramatic semi-final victory over England, decided in the final minutes.

2027 Preview: Australia

Australia will host the 2027 Rugby World Cup, returning the tournament to the southern hemisphere. Matches are expected to be held across major cities including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. For the Wallabies, a home World Cup represents both an opportunity to restore national pride in a team that has struggled for consistency in recent years and a chance to grow the game domestically in the face of competition from Australian rules football, cricket and rugby league.

Where to Watch in the UK

The Rugby World Cup holds Category A listed event status in the United Kingdom, meaning the final must be broadcast on free-to-air television. ITV has historically held the UK broadcast rights, providing comprehensive coverage of every match across its main channel and ITV4, with streaming on ITVX. Broadcast arrangements for 2027 will be confirmed closer to the tournament.

Check our TV Schedule for the latest broadcast information, and visit the World Rugby Rankings to track how nations are positioned ahead of qualification.