Rugby World Cup commenced in 1987 with Australia and New Zealand as host nations.
The idea of the Rugby World Cup was suggested by the Australian Rugby Union and the New Zealand Football Union in separate submissions to the International Rugby Board. Though 16 nations from all over the globe participated in 1987 Rugby World Cup , but there were only three real contenders for the trophy. Since, in 1987 the first Rugby World Cup was hosted the 16 members were invited by the International Rugby football Board and there were no separate selection procedures. The extravaganza began on 22 nd May, 1987 and ended on 20 th June, 1987. There were four pools with each pool having four members. Each nation had to play thrice during the group stage and the top two teams moved subsequently to the quarter finals. Same applied for all the groups and the quarter final was followed by the semi-finals and the finals.
Participating Teams |
| Pool 1 | Pool 2 | Pool 3 | Pool 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Canada | Argentina | France |
| England | Ireland | Fiji | Romania |
| Japan | Tonga | Italy | Scotland |
| United States | Wales | New Zealand | Zimbabwe |
Stadium Venues |
| Stadium Name | Capacity | City Name | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballymore Stadium | 24000 | Brisbane | Australia |
| Concord Oval | 20000 | Sydney | Australia |
| Eden Park | 45472 | Auckland | New Zealand |
| Athletic Park | 39000 | Wellington | New Zealand |
| Lancaster Park | 36500 | Christchurch | New Zealand |
| Carisbrook | 35000 | Dunedin | New Zealand |
| Rotorua International Stadium | 35000 | Rotorua | New Zealand |
| McLean Park | 30000 | Napier | New Zealand |
| Rugby Park | 30000 | Hamilton | New Zealand |
| Rugby Park Stadium | 17000 | Invercargill | New Zealand |
| Showgrounds Oval | 20000 | Palmerston North | New Zealand |
1987 Rugby World Cup Results |
| Scheduled Date | Team 1 | Match Result | Team 2 | Stadium Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Pool 1 |
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| 23 May 87 | Australia | 19 – 6 | England | Sydney |
| 24 May 87 | Japan | 18 – 21 | USA | Brisbane |
| 30 May 87 | England | 60 – 7 | Japan | Sydney |
| 31 May 87 | Australia | 47 – 12 | USA | Brisbane |
| 03 Jun 87 | England | 34 – 6 | USA | Sydney |
| 03 Jun 87 | Australia | 42 – 23 | Japan | Sydney |
Pool 2 |
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| 24 May 87 | Canada | 37 – 4 | Tonga | Napier |
| 25 May 87 | Ireland | 6 – 13 | Wales | Wellington |
| 29 May 87 | Tonga | 16 – 29 | Wales | Palmerston North |
| 30 May 87 | Canada | 19 – 46 | Ireland | Dunedin |
| 03 Jun 87 | Canada | 9 – 40 | Wales | Invercargill |
| 03 Jun 87 | Ireland | 32 – 9 | Tonga | Brisbane |
Pool 3 |
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| 22 May 87 | New Zealand | 70 – 6 | Italy | Auckland |
| 24 May 87 | Argentina | 9 – 28 | Fiji | Hamilton |
| 27 May 87 | New Zealand | 74 – 13 | Fiji | Christchurch |
| 28 May 87 | Argentina | 25 – 16 | Italy | Christchurch |
| 31 May 87 | Fiji | 15 – 18 | Italy | Dunedin |
| 01 Jun 87 | New Zealand | 46 – 15 | Argentina | Wellington |
Pool 4 |
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| 23 May 87 | Romania | 21 – 20 | Zimbabwe | Auckland |
| 23 May 87 | France | 20 – 20 | Scotland | Christchurch |
| 28 May 87 | France | 55 – 12 | Romania | Wellington |
| 30 May 87 | Scotland | 60 – 21 | Zimbabwe | Wellington |
| 02 Jun 87 | Romania | 28 – 55 | Scotland | Dunedin |
| 02 Jun 87 | France | 70 – 12 | Zimbabwe | Auckland |
Quarter Finals |
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| 06 Jun 87 | New Zealand | 30 – 3 | Scotland | Christchurch |
| 07 Jun 87 | Australia | 33 – 15 | Ireland | Sydney |
| 07 Jun 87 | Fiji | 16 – 31 | France | Auckland |
| 08 Jun 87 | England | 3 – 16 | Wales | Brisbane |
Semi Finals |
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| 13 Jun 87 | Australia | 24 – 30 | France | Sydney |
| 14 Jun 87 | New Zealand | 49 – 6 | Wales | Brisbane |
3rd Place Play-Off |
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| 18 Jun 87 | Australia | 21 – 22 | Wales | Rotorua |
Final |
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| 20 Jun 87 | New Zealand | 29 – 9 | France | Auckland |
Rugby World Cup Teams