Rugby World Cup Rugby World Cup The Rugby World Cup is a men's rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams. The tournament was first held in 1987, when the tournament was co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia. The winners are awarded the Webb Ellis Cup, named after William Webb Ellis, the Rugby School pupil who, according to a popular legend, invented rugby by picking up the ball during a football game. Four countries have won the trophy; New Zealand three times, Australia and South Africa each twice, and England once. New Zealand are the current champions, having defeated
New Zealand at the Rugby World Cup New Zealand at the Rugby World Cup The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, have played 50 matches in the eight Rugby World Cup tournaments from 1987 to 2015. They won the 1987, 2011 and 2015 tournaments. They are the only team never to have lost a pool match and to have always qualified in first place from every group. Their worst performance was in 2007, when they lost a quarter-final to France; they have made it to at least the semi-finals at all the other tournaments. New Zealand hosted the inaugural tournament in