Rugby World Cup

Publication date: 19 Sep 2022

About the Rugby World Cup

The Rugby World Cup is an international tournament featuring the best men’s national rugby teams. The International Rugby League (IRL) is the governing body for the organization of tournaments and the development of the sport.  Twenty teams take part in the championship.

The Women’s Rugby World championship has been held every four years since the first Rugby World championship in England in 2000.

Official Rugby World Cup website

2025 Rugby World Cup

The Rugby World Cup 2027 is the main event in the world of this sport. Tournament will be held in Australia, and this is great news for all rugby fans! The Australians have already hosted the championship twice – in 1987 (jointly with New Zealand) and 2003, and now the country is preparing for a grand sporting event again.

When will the championship be held?

The final games will be held from September to October 2027 (the exact dates have not yet been announced). The tournament will last for seven weeks, and the final, as always, will be one of the most anticipated events of the year.

Participating teams

For the first time in history, 24 teams will compete in the Rugby World Cup instead of the usual 20. This means that the fight for the trophy will be even more intense!

Automatic tickets have already been received by:

• Australia (as the host country);
• France, New Zealand, England, South Africa, Argentina, Wales, Ireland, Fiji are the best teams of the 2023 World Cup.
  The rest of the participants will go through the qualifying tournaments in their regions.

Who are the favorites?

As usual, the list of contenders for the title is impressive:

• New Zealand (All Blacks) – three-time World Cup winners, their traditional haka before the match always adds to the spectacle.
• South Africa (Springboks) – the current world champions, known for their physical strength and iron discipline.
• France – a team that always pleases with an attacking style.
• England – the winners of the 2003 World Cup, who cannot be discounted.
• Australia (Wallabies) – the hosts of the tournament, who will definitely do everything to lift the cup on home soil.

History of the Rugby World Cup

The idea of conducting a major rugby competition was first mooted in 1947. Several decades passed from the idea to its realization before the first Rugby World championship took place in 1987. Until then, tournaments between national teams were held at a continental level. The first tournament, which took place in 1987, featured 16 teams. Team New Zealand became the first world champion, defeating France in the final by a score of 29:9. Since then, the World Cup has been held every four years. The Webb Ellis Cup is awarded to the winner of the tournament. The trophy is named after the founder of rugby (William Webb Ellis).

Previous Rugby World Cup results

2031 Rugby World Cup

There is currently no information regarding the dates and location of the next championship.

Keep an eye on the dates for rugby tournaments and other events in our Sports Events Calendar.