The
2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth
Rugby World CupThe Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
, a quadrennial international
rugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
competition inaugurated in
1987The 1987 Rugby World Cup was the first Rugby World Cup. New Zealand and Australia agreed to co-host the first ever tournament with New Zealand hosting seventeen pool stage matches, two quarter-finals and the final with Australia being the junior partner hosting seven pool matches, two...
. Twenty nations competed for the
Webb Ellis CupThe Webb Ellis Cup is the trophy awarded to the winner of the Rugby World Cup. The Cup is named after William Webb Ellis, who is often credited as the inventor of rugby football. The trophy is silver gilt and has been presented to the winner of the Rugby World Cup since the first competition in 1987...
in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003, beating a bid from England. The competition consisted of 48 matches over 44 days; 42 matches were played in ten cities throughout France, as well as four in
CardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales, and two in
EdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland.
The eight quarter-finalists from
2003The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
were granted automatic qualification, while 12 other nations gained entry through the regional qualifying competitions that began in 2004 – of them,
PortugalThe Portugal national rugby union team is a third tier rugby union side representing Portugal. They first played in 1935 and now compete in the European Nations Cup. Rugby union in Portugal is administered by the Federação Portuguesa de Rugby. Portugal qualified for their first Rugby World Cup in...
was the only World Cup debutant. The top three nations from each pool at the end of the pool stage qualified automatically for the
2011 World CupThe 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
.
The competition opened with a match between hosts
FranceThe France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
and
ArgentinaThe Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
on 7 September at the
Stade de FranceThe Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
in
Saint-DenisSaint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis....
, Paris. The stadium was also the venue of the final match between
EnglandThe England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
and
South AfricaThe South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
on 20 October, which South Africa won by 15 points to 6, their second World Cup title.
Bids
Both England and France bid to host the tournament. The tender document for the 2007 bidding process was due out on 31 October 2001. Both England and France were invited to re-submit their plans. The
International Rugby BoardThe International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
(IRB) stated that both countries must comply with tender document terms in one bid, but in their second option, could propose alternative ideas. The IRB said "England's original proposal contained three plans for hosting the tournament with a traditional, new and hybrid format all on offer... The French bid, while complying with the tender document in all other respects, fell outside one of the `windows` in which the IRB wanted to stage an event". England's bids included a two-tier tournament and altering the structure of the qualifying tournament and France had a bid in September/October.
It was announced in April 2003 that France had won the right to host the tournament. The tournament was moved to the proposed September–October dates with the tournament structure remaining as it was. It was also announced that ten French cities would be hosting games, with the final at the Stade de France. French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin said that "this decision illustrates the qualities of our country and its capacity to host major sporting events...This World Cup will be the opportunity to showcase the regions of France where the wonderful sport of rugby is deeply rooted". French Sports Minister Jean-Francois Lamour said that "The organisation of this World Cup will shine over all of France because ten French towns have the privilege of organising matches and to be in the world's spotlight." French cities to host games are Bordeaux, Lens, Lyon, Marseilles, Montpellier, Nantes, St. Etienne, Toulouse and Paris, and it was also announced that the final would be at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.
Qualifying
The eight quarter-finalists from the
2003 World CupThe 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
all received automatic entry, with the other 12 nations coming from qualifying series around the world. Ten of the 20 positions available in the tournament were filled by regional qualifiers, with an additional two being filled by
repechageRepechage is a practice amongst ladder competitions that allows participants that failed to meet qualifying standards by a small margin to continue to the next round.- Types of repechage :...
qualification. The qualifying tournament was divided into five regional groups;
AfricaIn qualifying for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, there is one place available for African teams, and one place in the repechage. In the group rounds, there are three points awarded for a win, two for a draw, and one for a loss...
,
AmericasIn qualification for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, 19 countries in the Pan American Rugby Association compete for 3 direct entries and 1 repechage place against the winner of Africa 2 v Europe 4.-Round 1a:Caribbean teams...
,
AsiaIn qualification for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, thirteen Asian Rugby Football Union nations compete for one full place, and one repechage place . No Asian teams qualified for the quarter finals in 2003, so none qualify automatically in 2007...
,
Europe2007 Rugby World Cup - European qualification was based around the European Nations Cup, and decided which European teams participated in the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France. The group stages counted towards both qualification and the European Nations Cup...
and
OceaniaIn qualification for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, there are two places available for Oceania teams, and one place in the repechage. In the group rounds, there are three points awarded for a win, two for a draw, and one for a loss...
. Qualifying matches began in 2004 and were completed in early 2007. Including the automatic qualifiers, over 90 nations were in qualifying contention for the final tournament.
In July 2005, both
SamoaThe Manu Samoa is the men's representative side of the Samoa Rugby Union in both the 15's and the 7's for international competitions. The Samoa Rugby Union is owned by the affiliated rugby unions of Samoa. In Samoa, Manu Samoa is in honour of a famous Samoan warrior. From 1924 to 1997 Samoa was...
and
FijiThe Fiji national rugby union team is a member of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance formerly along with Samoa and Tonga. In 2009, Samoa announced their departure from the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, leaving just Fiji and Tonga. Fiji are ranked sixteenth in the world by the IRB as of 26...
were confirmed as the qualifiers from Oceania, as Oceania 1 and 2 respectively. In July of the following year,
ArgentinaThe Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
qualified as Americas 1 by defeating
UruguayThe Uruguay national rugby union team is the representative side of Uruguay, governed by the Unión de Rugby del Uruguay. They have been playing international rugby since 1948. Their jersey is blue and black and they are known as Los Teros. They qualified twice for the Rugby World Cup, in 1999 and...
26–0 in
Buenos AiresBuenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
. Americas 2 was filled in August when
CanadaThe Canada national rugby union team represents Canada in international rugby union. They are governed by Rugby Canada, and play in red and black. Canada is classified by the International Rugby Board as a tier two rugby nation. There are ten tier one nations, and seven tier two nations, the...
defeated the
United StatesUSA Rugby's men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Eagles, represents the United States in the sport of rugby union. The Eagles are currently ranked 17th by the IRB World Rankings. Their highest ranking was from November 2, 2006 – September 10, 2007 at the 14th position...
56–7 in
Newfoundland. The United States went on to qualify as Americas 3 after beating Uruguay in a two-legged tie in early October. That month also saw
ItalyThe Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
qualify as Europe 1 after defeating
RussiaThe Russian National Rugby Union Team, is the national team representing Russia at the sport of rugby union.Rugby union in Russia is administered by the Rugby Union of Russia . The RUR is the official successor union of the Soviet Union and the combined CIS team which played in the early 1990s...
67–7 in Moscow, reaching the first place in its qualifying group;
RomaniaThe Romania national rugby union team , nicknamed The Oaks , is the representative side of Romania in rugby union. Long considered one of the stronger European teams outside the Six Nations, they have participated in all six Rugby World Cups, and currently compete in the first division of the...
defeated
SpainThe Spain national rugby union team are a national sporting side of Spain, representing them at rugby union. Spain have been playing rugby since the late 1920s, playing their first international against Italy in 1929. They have qualified for one Rugby World Cup, in 1999 where they were pooled with...
43–20 in
MadridMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, and also qualified for the World Cup as Europe 2.
NamibiaThe Namibian rugby union team, nicknamed the Welwitschias or Biltongboere, represents Namibia at rugby union. Although they are a tier-three nation in the International Rugby Board tier system, the team have participated in all three Rugby World Cup competitions since their first appearance in 1999...
qualified for their third consecutive World Cup after they earned their spot in France by defeating
MoroccoThe Morocco national rugby union team are a national sporting side, representing Morocco in rugby union. The team is also known as the Atlas Lions. Morocco is governed by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Rugby. Morocco competes in the Africa Cup annually. The team has won the competition in 2003...
over two legs in November. In late 2006, it was announced that the IRB had withdrawn
ColomboColombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
as the venue of the final Asian qualifying tournament due to security problems.
JapanThe Japan national rugby union team represent Japan in international rugby union competitions. Japan is traditionally the strongest rugby union power in Asia but has both enjoyed and endured mixed results against non-Asian teams over the years...
won the only Asian allocation after the tournament was moved to Hong Kong.
GeorgiaThe Georgia national rugby union team represents Georgia in rugby union. The team's nickname, The Lelos, comes from lelo burti, a traditional Georgian sport with strong similarities to rugby. Lelo has been adopted as the Georgian word for "try"...
was 14 points the better of
PortugalThe Portugal national rugby union team is a third tier rugby union side representing Portugal. They first played in 1935 and now compete in the European Nations Cup. Rugby union in Portugal is administered by the Federação Portuguesa de Rugby. Portugal qualified for their first Rugby World Cup in...
over two legs to claim the last European place.
TongaThe Tonga national rugby union team is nicknamed Ikale Tahi . Like their Polynesian neighbours, the Tongans start their matches with a war dance – the Kailao . They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance along with Fiji and Samoa...
qualified through repechage after defeating
KoreaThe Korea national rugby union team represents South Korea in international rugby union. The team is recognized as Korea by the International Rugby Board. Korea has yet to make their debut at the Rugby World Cup finals....
. The final spot went to
PortugalThe Portugal national rugby union team is a third tier rugby union side representing Portugal. They first played in 1935 and now compete in the European Nations Cup. Rugby union in Portugal is administered by the Federação Portuguesa de Rugby. Portugal qualified for their first Rugby World Cup in...
, joining Pool C after beating
UruguayThe Uruguay national rugby union team is the representative side of Uruguay, governed by the Unión de Rugby del Uruguay. They have been playing international rugby since 1948. Their jersey is blue and black and they are known as Los Teros. They qualified twice for the Rugby World Cup, in 1999 and...
24–23 on aggregate. Portugal's qualification was the only change in the 20-team roster from the 2003 World Cup, replacing Uruguay, becoming the only wholly
amateurAn amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
team to qualify.
| Africa |
Americas |
Europe |
Oceania/Asia |
| (Africa) |
(Americas 1) (Americas 2) (Americas 3) |
(World Champions) (Europe 1) (Europe 2) (Europe 3) (Repechage 1) |
(Oceania 2) (Oceania 1) (Repechage 2) (Asia) |
Hosting
France won the right to host the 2007 World Cup in 2003, and it was subsequently announced that four matches would be held in Wales, at
CardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
's 74,500 seat
Millennium StadiumThe Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
(two Pool B games involving
WalesThe Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
, the match between
FijiThe Fiji national rugby union team is a member of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance formerly along with Samoa and Tonga. In 2009, Samoa announced their departure from the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, leaving just Fiji and Tonga. Fiji are ranked sixteenth in the world by the IRB as of 26...
and
CanadaThe Canada national rugby union team represents Canada in international rugby union. They are governed by Rugby Canada, and play in red and black. Canada is classified by the International Rugby Board as a tier two rugby nation. There are ten tier one nations, and seven tier two nations, the...
, and a quarter-final). Ireland was to have hosted matches at
Lansdowne RoadLansdowne Road was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union that has been the location of a number of sports stadiums. It was used primarily for rugby union and for association football matches as well as some music concerts...
, Dublin, but opted out because the stadium was being redeveloped.
Two Pool C matches were played at
EdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
's
Murrayfield StadiumMurrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium located in the west end of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Its all-seater capacity was recently reduced from 67,800 to 67,130 to incorporate the largest permanent "big screen" in the country though it still remains the largest stadium in Scotland and one...
. There had been speculation that the
Scottish Rugby UnionThe Scottish Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Scotland. It is the second oldest Rugby Union, having been founded in 1873, as the Scottish Football Union.-History:...
(SRU) was having doubts about hosting these games, and that the
Welsh Rugby UnionThe Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board.The union's patron is Queen Elizabeth II, and her grandson Prince William of Wales became the Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union as of February 2007.-History:The roots of the...
might be interested in hosting them, but the SRU confirmed in April 2006 that the games would be played at Murrayfield.
There was a substantial increase in the overall capacity of stadiums compared to the
2003 Rugby World CupThe 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
– the smallest venue at the 2007 tournament could seat 33,900 people. The French venues were the same as those used for the
1998 FIFA World CupThe 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
. Around 6,000 volunteers helped to organise the competition.
Although the 2007 tournament was the first to be hosted primarily by France, a number of matches during the
1991The 1991 Rugby World Cup was the second edition of the Rugby World Cup, and was jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France; at that time, the five European countries that participated in the Five Nations Championship making it the first Rugby World Cup to be staged in the...
and
1999The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
tournaments were played in France. In 1991, matches in Pool D (which included France) were played in
BéziersBéziers is a town in Languedoc in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Hérault department. Béziers hosts the famous Feria de Béziers, centred around bullfighting, every August. A million visitors are attracted to the five-day event...
,
BayonneBayonne is a city and commune in south-western France at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, of which it is a sub-prefecture...
,
GrenobleGrenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
,
ToulouseToulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
, Brive and
AgenAgen is a commune in the Lot-et-Garonne department in Aquitaine in south-western France. It lies on the river Garonne southeast of Bordeaux. It is the capital of the department.-Economy:The town has a higher level of unemployment than the national average...
, while
Parc des PrincesThe Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed...
and
Stadium Lille-MetropoleStade Lille-Metropole is a multi-purpose stadium in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France. The stadium was built in 1976 and is able to hold 18,154. The architect for the stadium was Roger Taillibert....
each hosted a quarter-final. Similarly, in 1999, fixtures in Pool C (which included France) were played in
BéziersBéziers is a town in Languedoc in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Hérault department. Béziers hosts the famous Feria de Béziers, centred around bullfighting, every August. A million visitors are attracted to the five-day event...
,
BordeauxBordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
and
ToulouseToulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
, Stade Félix-Bollaert was the venue for one of the quarter-final play-offs, and
Stade de FranceThe Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
hosted a quarter-final.
| City |
Country |
Stadium |
Capacity |
Further reading |
Saint-DenisSaint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis....
|
France |
Stade de FranceThe Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
|
80,000 |
Overview |
CardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
|
Wales |
Millennium StadiumThe Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
|
73,350 |
Overview |
EdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
|
Scotland |
MurrayfieldMurrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium located in the west end of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Its all-seater capacity was recently reduced from 67,800 to 67,130 to incorporate the largest permanent "big screen" in the country though it still remains the largest stadium in Scotland and one...
|
68,000 |
Overview |
MarseilleMarseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
|
France |
Stade VélodromeThe Stade Vélodrome is a football stadium in Marseille, France. It is home to the Olympique de Marseille football club of Ligue 1, and was a venue in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2007 Rugby World Cup. It is the largest club-football ground in France, with a capacity of 60,031 spectators,...
|
59,500 |
Overview |
| Paris |
France |
Parc des PrincesThe Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed...
|
47,870 |
Overview |
LensLens is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. It is one of France's large Picarde cities along with Lille, Valenciennes, Amiens, Roubaix, Tourcoing, Arras, and Douai.-Metropolitan area:...
|
France |
Stade Félix-Bollaert |
41,400 |
Overview |
LyonLyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
|
France |
Stade de Gerland |
41,100 |
Overview |
NantesNantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
|
France |
Stade de la Beaujoire The Stade de la Beaujoire - Louis Fonteneau, or "Stade de la Beaujoire", is a stadium in Nantes, France. It is the home of the FC Nantes football club....
|
38,100 |
Overview |
| Toulouse Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
|
France |
Stadium de ToulouseStadium Municipal de Toulouse is the largest multi-purpose stadium in Toulouse, France. It is the seventh-largest stadium in France. It is currently used mostly for football matches, mainly those of the Toulouse Football Club and the big games of rugby in the Stade Toulousain in the Heineken Cup or...
|
35,700 |
Overview |
Saint-ÉtienneSaint-Étienne is a city in eastern central France. It is located in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon in the Rhône-Alpes region, along the trunk road that connects Toulouse with Lyon...
|
France |
Stade Geoffroy-GuichardStade Geoffroy-Guichard is a multi-purpose stadium in Saint-Étienne, France. It is used primarily for football matches, and tournaments such as the 1984 European Football Championship, the Football World Cup 1998 and the Confederations Cup 2003. It is also used for rugby union, and was a venue at...
|
35,650 |
Overview |
BordeauxBordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
|
France |
Stade Chaban-Delmas Stade Chaban-Delmas is a sporting stadium located in the city of Bordeaux, France. It is the home ground of FC Girondins de Bordeaux.Until 2001, the stadium's name was the Stade du Parc Lescure...
|
34,440 |
Overview |
Montpellier-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
|
France |
Stade de la Mosson Stade de la Mosson is a football stadium in Montpellier, France. It is the home of Montpellier HSC and has a capacity of 32,900. Formerly a 16,000-seater stadium, it was entirely rebuilt in 1998 to host 6 games of the 1998 FIFA World Cup. It was also used as a venue for group stage matches in the...
|
33,900 |
Overview |
Tickets and sponsorship
Ticket sales for the Rugby World Cup were broken up into three phases. The first phase was released in November 2005, when members of the European rugby community, such as officials, players and so on were given the opportunity for various packages. Upon the release of the second phase ticketing scheme, more than 100,000 tickets were sold in the first ten hours of release. The remaining tickets – individual tickets and tickets to the semi-finals – were released in phase three in November 2006. In June 2007, it was announced that 2 million of the 2.4 million tickets had been sold in advance of the tournament.
The Worldwide partners for the tournament are
Société GénéraleSociété Générale S.A. is a large European Bank and a major Financial Services company that has a substantial global presence. Its registered office is on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, while its head office is in the Tours Société Générale in the business district of La...
, GMF,
Électricité de FranceÉlectricité de France S.A. is the second largest French utility company. Headquartered in Paris, France, with €65.2 billion in revenues in 2010, EDF operates a diverse portfolio of 120,000+ megawatts of generation capacity in Europe, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.EDF is one of...
,
PeugeotPeugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
, Visa and
SNCFThe SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
, and official sponsors include
HeinekenHeineken International /ˈɦɛinəkən/ is a Dutch brewing company, founded in 1864 by Gerard Adriaan Heineken in Amsterdam. As of 2007, Heineken owns over 125 breweries in more than 70 countries and employs approximately 54,000 people...
, Vediorbis,
CapgeminiCapgemini is a French global IT services company, one of the world's largest management consulting, outsourcing and professional services companies with a staff of 114,274 operating in 40 countries. It is headquartered in Paris and was founded in 1967 by Serge Kampf, the current chairman, in...
,
OrangeOrange is the brand used by France Télécom for its mobile network operator and Internet service provider subsidiaries. It is the fifth largest telecom operator in the world, with 210 million customers . The brand was created in 1994 for Hutchison Telecom's UK mobile phone network, which was...
,
Toshibais a multinational electronics and electrical equipment corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and...
and
EmiratesEmirates is the airline based in the Emirate of Dubai part of the United Arab Emirates . Based at Dubai International Airport it is the largest airline in the Middle East, operating over 2,400 flights per week, from its hub at Terminal 3, to 111 cities in 62 countries across six continents...
.
GilbertGilbert is a sporting goods manufacturing company, specialising in balls for rugby union and netball. The company was established by William Gilbert in 1823, who along with his nephew, James, developed the first rugby balls, having previously made football boots before the game of rugby had been...
will be providing the tournament balls, the
Gilbert SynergieThe Gilbert Synergie is a rugby union rugby ball produced by Gilbert. The Gilbert Synergie was the official match ball of the 2007 Rugby World Cup, replacing the Gilbert Xact used in Australia during the 2003 Rugby World Cup. The ball was introduced in time for the 2006 Autumn internationals...
match ball will be used throughout the tournament. This continues Gilbert's involvement with the World Cup, the company having provided the Barbarian (1995), Revolution (1999) and Xact (2003) balls in the past. Along with Gilbert, the official suppliers are
AdidasAdidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
,
Coca-ColaCoca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
,
Clifford ChanceClifford Chance LLP is a global law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom and a member of the 'Magic Circle' of leading UK law firms. It is one of the ten largest law firms in the world measured by both number of lawyers and revenue...
,
GoodyearThe Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling. Goodyear manufactures tires for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, SUVs, race cars, airplanes, farm equipment and heavy earth-mover machinery....
and McDonalds. The host broadcaster for the event is TF1.
Squads
Each country was allowed a squad of 30 players for the tournament. These squads were to be submitted to the International Rugby Board by a deadline of 14 August 2007. Once the squad was submitted a player could be replaced if injured, but would not be allowed to return to the squad.
Match officials
The 2007 Rugby World Cup officials were appointed in late-April 2007, with 12 referees and 13 touch judges being chosen to officiate during the pool stage. In the knockout stage the 12 referees also acted as touch judges, with referee appointments being based on performance from previous matches and selection for neutrality. Referees came from seven different nationalities and three of them made their Rugby World Cup debut. The touch judges came from 10 different countries.
Tony SpreadburyAntony John "Tony" Spreadbury, commonly known as Spreaders , is a retired international rugby union referee....
of England officiated the opening game between
FranceThe France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
and
ArgentinaThe Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
at the
Stade de FranceThe Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
and Irishman
Alain RollandAlain Colm Pierre Rolland is an Irish rugby union referee and former player.During his playing days as a scrum-half, Rolland earned three caps for . He started the match on 27 October 1990 against , and gained further caps as a replacement against in 1994 and the USA in 1995. He won 40 provincial...
refereed the final.
Format
The competition was contested over 44 days between 20 different nations, over 48 fixtures. The tournament began on 7 September at the
Stade de FranceThe Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
with a match between the host nation, France, and Argentina. The tournament culminated at the same venue on 20 October for the Final between England and South Africa.
Pool stage
Pool APool A of the 2007 Rugby World Cup began on 8 September and was completed on 30 September. The pool was composed of 2003 World Cup winners England, as well as Samoa, South Africa, Tonga and United States....
|
Pool BPool B of the 2007 Rugby World Cup began on 8 September and was completed on 29 September. The pool was composed of 2003 hosts Australia, as well as Canada, Fiji, Japan and Wales....
|
Pool CPool C of the 2007 Rugby World Cup began on 8 September and concluded on 29 September 2007. The pool was composed of World Cup debutantes Portugal, Italy, New Zealand, Romania and Scotland....
|
Pool D Pool D of the 2007 Rugby World Cup began on 7 September and concluded on 30 September. The pool was composed of World Cup hosts France, Argentina, Georgia, Ireland and Namibia....
|
|
|
|
|
Classification within each pool was based on the following scoring system:
- four match points for a win;
- two for a draw;
- zero for a loss.
Bonus pointsThe Rugby union bonus points system is a method of deciding table points from a rugby union match. It was implemented in order to encourage attacking play throughout a match, to discourage repetitive goal-kicking, and to reward teams for "coming close" in losing efforts...
, contributing to a team's cumulative match-point score, were awarded in each of the following instances (one match point for each event):
- a team scores four or more tries
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
(regardless of the match result);
- a team loses by seven points (a converted try) or fewer.
At the end of the pool stage, teams were ranked from first to fifth based on cumulative match points, with the top two nations proceeding to the quarter-finals.
If at the completion of the pool phase two or more Teams were level on Match points, then the following criteria would have been used in the following order until one of the Teams could be determined as the higher ranked:
- i. The winner of the Match in which the two tied Teams have played each other shall be the higher ranked;
- ii. The Team which has the best difference between points scored for and points scored against in all its pool Matches shall be the higher ranked;
- iii. The Team which has the best difference between tries scored for and tries scored against in all its pool Matches shall be the higher ranked;
- iv. The Team which has scored most points in all its pool Matches shall be the higher ranked;
- v. The Team which has scored most tries in all its pool Matches shall be the higher ranked;
- vi. Should the tie be unresolved at the conclusion of steps (i) through (v), the Team that is higher ranked in the updated Official IRB World Rankings on 1 October 2007.
By elevating head-to-head results (rule i) above points difference (rule ii), a notable difference is created to other sports competitions, in which points difference usually determines rank for teams with the same number of match points (table points). These rules allowed the winners of Pools A, B and C to be determined by the results of the third pool matches on the weekend of 22 and 23 September. Although other teams could theoretically draw level on table points with South Africa, Australia and New Zealand and exceed their points differences at the end of the pool stages, head-to-head results by that time ensured these teams could be declared winners of their respective pools, with a match to spare. This also illustrates the fact that the pool tables do not tell the whole story.
Knockout stage
From this stage onwards, the tournament adopted a knockout format comprising eight fixtures: four quarter-finals, two semi-finals, a bronze medal match, and the final. The winner and runner-up from each of the four pools advanced to the quarter-finals. Pool winners were drawn against opposite pool runners-up in the quarter-finals, e.g. the winner of Pool A faced the runner up of Pool B, and the winner of Pool B faced the runner-up of Pool A.
Each match in the knockout stage must conclude in a victory. If, after eighty minutes of normal play, a match results in a draw, further play is made to determine an outright winner. Initially, there will be two periods of extra time, 10 minutes each way; if there is no winner after this, then play proceeds to a single 10 minute period of 'sudden death' play. If the contest is unresolved after a total 110 minutes of open play, the winner will be determined by a placekicking competition.
Effect on 2011 qualification2011 Rugby World Cup qualifying began at the 2007 tournament in France, where twelve teams earned a place in the finals of the tournament, this automatically qualified them for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.After much speculation, it was confirmed on 30 November 2007 that 20 teams would...
In a change from the format of the
previous tournamentThe 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
, the top three teams in each pool will qualify for the
2011 World CupThe 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
in New Zealand; previously, only the eight quarter-finalists gained an automatic place in the following tournament.
Pool stage
| Qualified for the quarterfinals |
Eliminated, automatic qualification for RWC 2011The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
|
All times French time (
UTC+2Central European Summer Time is one of the names of the Daylight saving time offset using the UTC offset of UTC+02:00, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. It is used as a summer daylight saving time in most European countries. During the winter, Central European Time is used...
)
Pool A
EWLINE
| Team |
Pld |
W |
D |
L |
TF |
PF |
PA |
+/- |
BP |
Pts |
|
4 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
24 |
189 |
47 |
142
3 |
19 |
|
4 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
11 |
108 |
88 |
20
2 |
14 |
|
4 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
9 |
89 |
96 |
−7 |
1 |
9 |
|
4 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
5 |
69 |
143 |
−74 |
1 |
5 |
|
4 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
7 |
61 |
142 |
−81 |
1 |
1 |
|
EWLINE
| | SAMThe Manu Samoa is the men's representative side of the Samoa Rugby Union in both the 15's and the 7's for international competitions. The Samoa Rugby Union is owned by the affiliated rugby unions of Samoa. In Samoa, Manu Samoa is in honour of a famous Samoan warrior. From 1924 to 1997 Samoa was...
| RSAThe South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
| TGAThe Tonga national rugby union team is nicknamed Ikale Tahi . Like their Polynesian neighbours, the Tongans start their matches with a war dance – the Kailao . They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance along with Fiji and Samoa...
| USAUSA Rugby's men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Eagles, represents the United States in the sport of rugby union. The Eagles are currently ranked 17th by the IRB World Rankings. Their highest ranking was from November 2, 2006 – September 10, 2007 at the 14th position...
|
EnglandThe England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
|
44–22 |
0–36 |
36–20 |
28–10 |
SamoaThe Manu Samoa is the men's representative side of the Samoa Rugby Union in both the 15's and the 7's for international competitions. The Samoa Rugby Union is owned by the affiliated rugby unions of Samoa. In Samoa, Manu Samoa is in honour of a famous Samoan warrior. From 1924 to 1997 Samoa was...
|
– |
7–59 |
15–19 |
25–21 |
South AfricaThe South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
|
– |
– |
30–25 |
64–15 |
TongaThe Tonga national rugby union team is nicknamed Ikale Tahi . Like their Polynesian neighbours, the Tongans start their matches with a war dance – the Kailao . They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance along with Fiji and Samoa...
|
– |
– |
– |
25–15 |
|
Pool B
EWLINE
| Team |
Pld |
W |
D |
L |
TF |
PF |
PA |
+/- |
BP |
Pts |
|
4 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
30 |
215 |
41 |
174
4 |
20 |
|
4 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
14 |
114 |
136 |
−22 |
3 |
15 |
|
4 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
23 |
168 |
105 |
63
4 |
12 |
|
4 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
7 |
64 |
210 |
−146 |
1 |
3 |
|
4 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
6 |
51 |
120 |
−69 |
0 |
2 |
|
EWLINE
| | CANThe Canada national rugby union team represents Canada in international rugby union. They are governed by Rugby Canada, and play in red and black. Canada is classified by the International Rugby Board as a tier two rugby nation. There are ten tier one nations, and seven tier two nations, the...
| FJIThe Fiji national rugby union team is a member of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance formerly along with Samoa and Tonga. In 2009, Samoa announced their departure from the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, leaving just Fiji and Tonga. Fiji are ranked sixteenth in the world by the IRB as of 26...
| JPNThe Japan national rugby union team represent Japan in international rugby union competitions. Japan is traditionally the strongest rugby union power in Asia but has both enjoyed and endured mixed results against non-Asian teams over the years...
| WALThe Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
|
AustraliaThe Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
|
37–6 |
55–12 |
91–3 |
32–20 |
CanadaThe Canada national rugby union team represents Canada in international rugby union. They are governed by Rugby Canada, and play in red and black. Canada is classified by the International Rugby Board as a tier two rugby nation. There are ten tier one nations, and seven tier two nations, the...
|
– |
16–29 |
12–12 |
17–42 |
FijiThe Fiji national rugby union team is a member of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance formerly along with Samoa and Tonga. In 2009, Samoa announced their departure from the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, leaving just Fiji and Tonga. Fiji are ranked sixteenth in the world by the IRB as of 26...
|
– |
– |
35–31 |
38–34 |
JapanThe Japan national rugby union team represent Japan in international rugby union competitions. Japan is traditionally the strongest rugby union power in Asia but has both enjoyed and endured mixed results against non-Asian teams over the years...
|
– |
– |
– |
18–72 |
|
Pool C
EWLINE
| Team |
Pld |
W |
D |
L |
TF |
PF |
PA |
+/- |
BP |
Pts |
|
4 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
46 |
309 |
35 |
274
4 |
20 |
|
4 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
14 |
116 |
66 |
50
2 |
14 |
|
4 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
8 |
85 |
117 |
−32 |
1 |
9 |
|
4 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
5 |
40 |
161 |
−121 |
1 |
5 |
|
4 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
4 |
38 |
209 |
−171 |
1 |
1 |
|
EWLINE
| | NZLThe New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
| PORThe Portugal national rugby union team is a third tier rugby union side representing Portugal. They first played in 1935 and now compete in the European Nations Cup. Rugby union in Portugal is administered by the Federação Portuguesa de Rugby. Portugal qualified for their first Rugby World Cup in...
| ROMThe Romania national rugby union team , nicknamed The Oaks , is the representative side of Romania in rugby union. Long considered one of the stronger European teams outside the Six Nations, they have participated in all six Rugby World Cups, and currently compete in the first division of the...
| SCOThe Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
|
ItalyThe Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
|
14–76 |
31–5 |
24–18 |
16–18 |
| New Zealand |
– |
108–13 |
85–8 |
40–0 |
PortugalThe Portugal national rugby union team is a third tier rugby union side representing Portugal. They first played in 1935 and now compete in the European Nations Cup. Rugby union in Portugal is administered by the Federação Portuguesa de Rugby. Portugal qualified for their first Rugby World Cup in...
|
– |
– |
10–14 |
10–56 |
RomaniaThe Romania national rugby union team , nicknamed The Oaks , is the representative side of Romania in rugby union. Long considered one of the stronger European teams outside the Six Nations, they have participated in all six Rugby World Cups, and currently compete in the first division of the...
|
– |
– |
– |
0–42 |
|
Pool D
EWLINE
| Team |
Pld |
W |
D |
L |
TF |
PF |
PA |
+/- |
BP |
Pts |
|
4 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
16 |
143 |
33 |
110
2 |
18 |
|
4 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
24 |
188 |
37 |
151
3 |
15 |
|
4 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
9 |
64 |
82 |
−18 |
1 |
9 |
|
4 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
5 |
50 |
111 |
−61 |
1 |
5 |
|
4 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
3 |
30 |
212 |
−182 |
0 |
0 |
|
EWLINE
| | FRAThe France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
| GEOThe Georgia national rugby union team represents Georgia in rugby union. The team's nickname, The Lelos, comes from lelo burti, a traditional Georgian sport with strong similarities to rugby. Lelo has been adopted as the Georgian word for "try"...
| IREThe Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
| NAMThe Namibian rugby union team, nicknamed the Welwitschias or Biltongboere, represents Namibia at rugby union. Although they are a tier-three nation in the International Rugby Board tier system, the team have participated in all three Rugby World Cup competitions since their first appearance in 1999...
|
ArgentinaThe Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
|
17–12 |
33–3 |
30–15 |
63–3 |
FranceThe France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
|
– |
64–7 |
25–3 |
87–10 |
GeorgiaThe Georgia national rugby union team represents Georgia in rugby union. The team's nickname, The Lelos, comes from lelo burti, a traditional Georgian sport with strong similarities to rugby. Lelo has been adopted as the Georgian word for "try"...
|
– |
– |
10–14 |
30–0 |
IrelandThe Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
|
– |
– |
– |
32–17 |
|
Knockout stage
Quarter-finals
----
----
----
Semi-finals
----
Bronze final
Final
Disciplinary citings
There was some controversy over post-match citings by IRB Citing Commissioners because of apparent inconsistencies between disciplinary sanctions.
List of citings
Ban
(weeks) |
Player |
Nation |
Opponent |
Offence |
| 7 |
Otar Eloshvili Otar Eloshvili is a Georgian rugby union footballer. He plays as a centre and as a wing.Eloshvili played in France for Compiègne, Rugby Club d'Arras, in 2006/07, Sporting Nazairien Rugby , Marcq en Barouel and currently for Grasse, since 2010/11.He has 11 caps for Georgia, with 2 tries scored, 10...
|
|
France |
spear tackle A spear tackle is a dangerous tackle in rugby union, rugby league and Australian rules football whereby a player lifts another player into the air and dumps or drops them upside down...
|
| 5 |
Paul Emerick Paul Emerick is a USA international rugby player. His position is centre or wing. He last played for Ulster Rugby before being released.-Club:...
|
|
England |
spear tackle |
| 4 |
Juan Severino Somoza Juan Severino Somoza is an Argentine-born Portuguese rugby union footballer. He plays as a lock or as a flanker.He was a member of Agronomia team, winning the title of National Champion in 2006/2007...
|
|
Scotland |
head-butting |
| 3 |
Brian Lima Brian Lima is a former Samoan rugby union footballer who was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame in 2011. Originally a wing, Lima moved into centre for Manu Samoa as his pace lessened, but he remained a formidable player throughout his career.He earned the memorable nickname of "The Chiropractor"...
|
|
England |
high tackle |
| 2 |
Schalk BurgerSchalk Burger Jr. is a South African rugby union player. He plays the position of flanker in the Springbok rugby union team.-Father:...
|
|
Samoa |
dangerous play |
| 2 |
Phil VickeryPhilip John Vickery MBE is a former English rugby union tighthead prop and member of the England squad. He was a member of England's World Cup winning squad in 2003, playing in all seven matches in the tournament, and is a former England captain. Vickery ended his club rugby career at Wasps,...
|
|
United States |
tripping |
| 2 |
Mirco Bergamasco Mirco Bergamasco is an Italian rugby union footballer. He primarily plays centre, presently with Parisian club Racing Métro in the French Top 14, and internationally with Italy...
|
|
Scotland |
tripping |
| 1 |
Hale T-Pole Tevita Hale Nai Tu'uhoko, often known simply as Hale T-Pole or Hale T Pole, is a Tongan rugby union footballer who plays as a flanker or number eight for the Ricoh Black Rams in the Top League in Japan...
|
|
Samoa |
striking |
| 1 |
Jacques Nieuwenhuis Jacques Nieuwenhuis is a Namibian rugby union player. Nieuwenhuis was in the Namibian squad for the 2007 World Cup, and scored a try in his nation's first match in the competition, in a game against .He later blotted his copybook by being the first Namibian to be sent off at a world cup against...
|
|
France |
high tackle |
| 1 |
Alfie Vaeluaga Alfie To'oala Vaeluaga is a professional rugby union player for La Rochelle, joining them in 2011 from Leeds. He was recruited to Bristol the start of the 2006 Guinness Premiership season to bolster the Bristol back row, having played for both Orrell and Plymouth Albion against Bristol when the...
|
|
South Africa |
high tackle |
| 1 |
Seremaia Bai -Career:He currently plays for Castres Olympique after signing from ASM Clermont Auvergne in 2010 who both compete in France's Top 14 competition. He also plays for the Fiji national team and the Pacific Islanders. He has played under-19s, under 21s and under 23s for the Fiji national side...
|
|
South Africa |
dangerous tackle |
| cleared |
François SteynFrancois Steyn is a South African rugby union player, who plays for the South African national team; and Racing Métro 92 in Paris. He was a member of the South African team that won the 2007 Rugby World Cup...
|
|
Tonga |
foul play |
| cleared |
Sione Lauaki Sione Tuitupu Lauaki is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. His brother, Epalahame Lauaki, is a 2nd rower for Hull in the Super League competition and also a New Zealand international.-Early career:...
|
|
Romania |
dangerous tackle |
Teams
| Points |
Team |
Matches |
Tries |
Con |
Pen |
Drop |
 |
 |
| 327 |
|
5 |
48 |
36 |
5 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
| 278 |
|
7 |
33 |
25 |
21 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
| 227 |
|
7 |
27 |
19 |
18 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
| 225 |
|
5 |
31 |
20 |
8 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
| 209 |
|
7 |
23 |
14 |
18 |
4 |
3 |
0 |
| 168 |
|
4 |
23 |
16 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 140 |
|
7 |
12 |
7 |
17 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
| 134 |
|
5 |
16 |
12 |
10 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
| 129 |
|
5 |
15 |
15 |
8 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| 89 |
|
4 |
9 |
7 |
10 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
| 85 |
|
4 |
8 |
6 |
11 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
| 69 |
|
4 |
5 |
4 |
12 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| 64 |
|
4 |
9 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
| 64 |
|
4 |
7 |
4 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 61 |
|
4 |
7 |
4 |
6 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
| 51 |
|
4 |
6 |
3 |
5 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| 50 |
|
4 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
| 40 |
|
4 |
5 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| 38 |
|
4 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
| 30 |
|
4 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
Source: RugbyWorldCup.com
Top point scorers
- Note: ranked according to points then number of appearances
| Points | Name | Team | Pos | Apps | Tries | Con | Pen | Drop |
|
| Percy MontgomeryPercival Colin "Percy" Montgomery is a retired South African rugby union player...
|
|
FB |
7 |
2 |
22 |
17 |
0 |
|
| Felipe Contepomi Felipe Contepomi is an Argentine rugby union footballer. A fly-half and centre, he currently plays for Stade Francais of the French Top 14; he made his debut for the club in November 2009 after recovering from a torn ACL suffered in a 2008–09 Heineken Cup match with his previous club, Magners...
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|
CE |
7 |
3 |
11 |
18 |
0 |
|
| Jonny WilkinsonJonathan Peter "Jonny" Wilkinson OBE is an English rugby union player and member of the England national team. Wilkinson rose to acclaim from 2001 to 2003, before and during the 2003 Rugby World Cup and was acknowledged as one of the world’s best rugby players...
|
|
FH |
5 |
0 |
5 |
14 |
5 |
|
| Nick Evans |
|
FH/FB |
|4 |
2 |
20 |
0 |
0 |
|
| Jean-Baptiste Élissalde Jean-Baptiste Élissalde is a former French rugby union player, playing either as a scrum-half or as a fly-half, and current backs coach of the Stade Toulousain.-Early life:...
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|
SH |
7 |
1 |
12 |
6 |
0 |
|
| Chris PatersonChris Paterson is a Scotland internationalist who plays for RaboDirect Pro12 side Edinburgh Rugby. He is Scotland’s record cap and points holder with 109 caps and 809 points. Paterson is capable in a range of positions, including fullback, wing and fly-half. In recent years Paterson has played...
|
|
WG/FH |
5 |
1 |
10 |
7 |
0 |
|
| Pierre Hola Pierre Hola is a Tongan rugby union footballer. He has represented Tonga and currently plays his club rugby in the Australian Shute Shield for Eastwood.-Career:Hola made his debut for Tonga in September 1998 in a match against Samoa...
|
|
FH |
4 |
0 |
7 |
10 |
0 |
|
| Lionel Beauxis Lionel Beauxis is a French rugby union player. He is tall and weighs . He plays at fly half for Stade Français....
|
|
FH |
6 |
1 |
7 |
8 |
0 |
|
| Nicky LittleNicky Tyrone Little in Tokoroa, New Zealand, is a rugby union footballer. He plays at fly-half. He is a nephew of All Blacks centre Walter Little, but represents Fiji at international level.-Career:...
|
|
FH |
3 |
0 |
9 |
8 |
0 |
|
| Dan Carter |
|
FH |
3 |
1 |
10 |
5 |
0 |
|
| Matt Giteau Matthew Giteau is an Australian rugby union footballer, a former international who now plays for the French Top 14 side Toulon. He attended St Edmund's College, Canberra, which has produced other Wallabies including George Gregan, Matt Henjak and the former rugby league star and now coach Ricky...
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|
CE |
4 |
3 |
8 |
3 |
0 |
|
| Bryan HabanaBryan Gary Habana is a South African rugby union player who plays as a wing for the Western Province in the Currie Cup, the Stormers in Super 14, and the 2007 Rugby World Cup champions Springboks...
|
|
WG |
7 |
8 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Key: Pos = position; Apps = appearances; Con = conversions; Pen = penalties; Drop = drop goals
Source: RugbyWorldCup.com
Top try scorers
| Rank |
Name |
Team |
Pos |
Apps |
Tries |
| 1 |
Bryan HabanaBryan Gary Habana is a South African rugby union player who plays as a wing for the Western Province in the Currie Cup, the Stormers in Super 14, and the 2007 Rugby World Cup champions Springboks...
|
|
WG |
7 |
8 |
| 2 |
Drew Mitchell Drew Alan Mitchell is an Australian rugby union player. He usually plays on the wing or as fullback. Up to the 2006 season he played for the Queensland Reds. He played for the Western Force for the 2007–2009 Super 14 seasons. In 2010 he is playing for the New South Wales Waratahs franchise...
|
|
WG |
5 |
7 |
| 3 |
Doug Howlett Douglas Charles Howlett is a professional New Zealand rugby union player of Tongan descent. He is primarily a wing but he has also covered fullback at national and international levels. He currently plays in Ireland with Munster. He is the brother of former Tongan rugby league international Phil...
|
|
WG |
3 |
6 |
| 3 |
Shane WilliamsShane Mark Williams is a Welsh international rugby union player who plays as a wing for the Ospreys and who can also play scrum-half. Williams is the record try scorer for the Wales national team and he is third on the international list of leading Rugby union Test try scorers behind Daisuke Ohata...
|
|
WG |
4 |
6 |
| 5 |
Joe RokocokoJosevata Taliga "Joe" Rokocoko is a professional New Zealand rugby union player. Rokocoko is known for his speed and strength which has accounted for his prolific try strike rate...
|
|
WG |
3 |
5 |
| 5 |
Vincent Clerc Vincent Clerc is a French rugby union player who plays on the wing.-Biography:Born in the city of Échirolles, suburb of the south of Grenoble , Clerc first played rugby at FC Grenoble, helping them reach the Top 16 before moving to Toulouse in 2002, where he has been playing ever since...
|
|
WG |
5 |
5 |
| 5 |
Chris Latham Chris Latham is an Australian rugby union player, who played fullback for the Worcester Warriors, following a long career with the Queensland Reds and Australia....
|
|
FB |
5 |
5 |
| 8 |
Rory Lamont Rory Lamont is a rugby union player who plays fullback and on the wing most recently he played for RC Toulon and currently for the Scotland. Rory is the younger brother of Sean Lamont.- Club career :...
|
|
FB |
4 |
4 |
| 8 |
Sitiveni SivivatuSitiveni Waica Sivivatu is a New Zealand rugby union footballer, playing on the position of a wing. He was largely successful in the 2005 Super 12 season playing for the Chiefs, and acquired a starting position in the All Blacks. He has scored 29 tries in 45 tests...
|
|
WG |
4 |
4 |
| 8 |
Jaque Fourie Jaque Fourie is a South African rugby union footballer. He is a versatile backline player whose usual position is in the centres...
|
|
CE |
6 |
4 |
| 8 |
Paul Sackey Paul Henry Sackey is an English rugby union footballer who currently plays at wing for Stade Français in the Top 14.As of 28 February 2009 he has 22 full England caps...
|
|
WG |
6 |
4 |
| 8 |
JP Pietersen Jon-Paul Roger "JP" Pietersen is a South African rugby union footballer. He generally plays fullback or wing for the Sharks and the Natal Sharks in the Currie Cup...
|
|
WG |
7 |
4 |
| 8 |
Juan SmithJuan Hugo Smith is a South African rugby union footballer. His usual position is at blindside flanker, although he has also played number eight, he plays for the Springboks. He plays for the Vodacom Cheetahs in the international Super 14 competition as well as the Free State Cheetahs in the...
|
|
FL A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
|
7 |
4 |
Key: Pos = position; Apps = appearances
External links
- France2007 Official website of the 2007 Rugby World Cup