The Rugby World Cup history spans back to 1987 where it fittingly began in New Zealand, one of the world’s most successful rugby union nations, and their neighbours Australia. It’s an international competition which has brought us memorable moments over the course of five decades, but who has won it the most?
I’ve attended two Rugby World Cups – Marseille and Cardiff – so here’s all I know about the RWC, including a variety of lists relating to the history of the Rugby World Cup, including the winners, semi finalists, and quarter finalists.
Rugby World Cup winners – a full list
The winners of the Rugby World Cup:
- 1987 – New Zealand
- 1991 – Australia
- 1995 – South Africa
- 1999 – Australia
- 2003 – England
- 2007 – South Africa
- 2011 – New Zealand
- 2015 – New Zealand
- 2019 – South Africa
- 2023 – South Africa
- 2027 – TO BE DECIDED!
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RWC finalists (runners-up)
Being a runner up isn’t all that bad – it’s not quite the ultimate prize but at least you’re able to play in the biggest rugby match there is: the Rugby World Cup final.
Here’s a list of the runners-up of the Rugby World Cup over the years:
- 1987 – France
- 1991 – England
- 1995 – New Zealand
- 1999 – France
- 2003 – Australia
- 2007 – England
- 2011 – France
- 2015 – Australia
- 2019 – England
- 2023 – New Zealand
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A list of Rugby World Cup semi finalists
The Rugby World Cup semi-finals have seen a number of intense, brutal matchups in recent years.
They may not get the recognition given to the finalists, but the losing semi-finalists (teams in the 3rd and 4th place play-off) include:
- 1987 – Wales & Australia
- 1991 – New Zealand & Scotland
- 1995 – France & England
- 1999 – South Africa & New Zealand
- 2003 – New Zealand & France
- 2007 – Argentina & France
- 2011 – Australia & Wales
- 2015 – South Africa & Argentina
- 2019 – New Zealand & Wales
- 2023 – England & Argentina
The first team named finished 3rd, while the latter came 4th.
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Rugby World Cup quarter finalists throughout history
There have been quite a few surprise quarter finalists in the RWC since 1987, because it only takes a few wins (and maybe the odd upset) to sneak your way through.
Here’s all of the Rugby World Cup quarter final losers, who didn’t make it through to the semis:
- 1987 – Scotland, England, Fiji & Ireland.
- 1991 – Western Samoa, France, Canada & Ireland.
- 1995 – Western Samoa, Ireland, Australia & Scotland.
- 1999 – England, Wales, Scotland & Argentina.
- 2003 – South Africa, Scotland, Ireland & Wales.
- 2007 – Australia, New Zealand, Fiji & Scotland.
- 2011 – Ireland, England, South Africa & Argentina.
- 2015 – Wales, France, Ireland & Scotland.
- 2019 – Australia, Ireland, France & Japan.
- 2023 – France, Fiji, Ireland (again), & Wales
Some are underachievers (NZ, France, Australia, etc.) while others are overachievers (Canada and Japan) – depending on the expectations of the nation.
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What about coaches and captains?
The masterminds behind each team’s success, here’s a full list of the Rugby World Cup winning coaches:
- 1987 – Brian Lochore
- 1991 – Bob Dwyer
- 1995 – Kitch Christie
- 1999 – Rod MacQueen
- 2003 – Clive Woodward
- 2007 – Jake White
- 2011 – Graham Henry
- 2015 – Steve Hansen
- 2019 – Rassie Erasmus
- 2023 – Jacques Nienaber
It’s certainly a list that contains some rugby legends, but it’s also worth noting how many renowned coaches are not on that list – including Warren Gatland and Eddie Jones (and unfortunately plenty of other coaches based in the Northern Hemisphere).
There have been some legendary images of captains lifting the Webb Ellis trophy over the years, from David Kirk to Siya Kolisi. Here’s a full list of Rugby World Cup winning captains:
- 1987 – David Kirk
- 1991 – Nick Farr-Jones
- 1995 – Francois Pienaar
- 1999 – John Eales
- 2003 – Martin Johnson
- 2007 – John Smit
- 2011 – Richie McCaw
- 2015 – Richie McCaw
- 2019 – Siya Kolisi
- 2023 – Siya Kolisi
International rugby is a blast, so be sure to follow other competitions like the Autumn Nations Series and the Six Nations.
For more rugby guides, see our related guides including the 5 Best Rugby Boots and a the Benefits of Rugby Union!

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