Rugby World Cup

The Rugby Union World Cup is a tournament contested by the best sides on the planet to decide the world champions, and has been held every four years since the inaugural competition in 1987. That first tournament was held in New Zealand and was eventually won by the host nation, who have since gone on to join Australia and South Africa as the most successful side in the tournament's history, when they lifted their second William Webb Ellis Cup in 2011.

The tournament's current format sees twenty teams, separated by IRB world ranking into four groups of five teams. Each team in a group plays the other four sides once, with the top two teams in each group going on to compete in a eight-strong knock-out competition until the eventual winners are crowned World Champions. The two losing semi-finalists then go on to compete for a bronze medal. 

After the All Blacks hosted and won the 1987 competition, the 1991 tournament was held throughout France and the British Isles, with Australia going on to win the title, before the 1995 competition travelled to South Africa.

This was the first tournament held in the country since the end of apartheid and, as such, was the first edition of the tournament that the Springboks were allowed to compete in. The tournament was played against a backdrop of euphoria and national pride, and the sight of Nelson Mandela handing the trophy over to the victorious South African captain, Francois Pienaar, has transcended sporting history, and gone on to become one of the most iconic images of the twentieth century.

Wales hosted the 1999 tournament, with Australia winning their second World Cup in three attempts. France too made history as they became the first team to lose two finals, a feat they later built on in 2011 when they once more lost out on the trophy to New Zealand.

In 2003, England became the first - and to date, only - team from the Northern Hemisphere to win the World Cup when they defeated Australia in a thrilling final in Sydney. The game went to extra time with the scores locked at 14-14, and was eventually won by the visitors when fly-half Jonny Wilkinson kicked a last-minute drop goal to seal a 20-17 win.

2007 saw France hosting the tournament and South Africa's powerful pack acting as the catalyst to a series of ruthless performances that saw them overpower England in the final to win their second tournament, before New Zealand equalled that achievement four years later to become reigning World Champions.

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