1987 Rugby World Cup

The 1987 Rugby World Cup was the first Rugby World Cup. New Zealand and Australia agreed to co-host the tournament. New Zealand hosted 21 matches (17 pool stage matches, two quarter-finals, the third-place play-off and the final) while Australia hosted 11 matches (seven pool matches, two quarter-finals and both semi-finals). The event was won by co-hosts New Zealand, who were the strong favourites and won all their matches comfortably. France were losing finalists and Wales came in third: Australia, having been second favourites, finished fourth after conceding crucial tries in the dying seconds of both the semi-final against France and the third-place play-off against Wales.

1987 Rugby World Cup
Tournament details
Host nations New Zealand
 Australia
Dates22 May – 20 June (30 days)
No. of nations16
Final positions
Champions  New Zealand
Runner-up  France
Third place  Wales
Tournament statistics
Matches played32
Attendance478,449 (14,952 per match)
Top scorer(s) Grant Fox (126)
Most tries Craig Green
John Kirwan
(6 tries each)
1991

Sixteen teams competed in the inaugural tournament. Seven of the 16 places were automatically filled by the International Rugby Football Board (IRFB) members – New Zealand, Australia, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and France. South Africa was unable to compete because of the international sporting boycott due to apartheid. There was no qualification process to fill the remaining nine spots. Instead invitations were sent out to Argentina, Fiji, Italy, Canada, Romania, Tonga, Japan, Zimbabwe and the United States. This left Western Samoa controversially excluded, despite their better playing standard than some of the teams invited. The USSR were to be invited but they declined the invitation on political grounds, allegedly due to the continued IRFB membership of South Africa.[1]

The tournament witnessed a number of one-sided matches, with the seven traditional IRFB members proving too strong for the other teams. Half of the 24 matches across the four pools saw one team score 40 or more points. New Zealand defeated France 29–9 in the final at Eden Park in Auckland. The New Zealand team was captained by David Kirk and included such rugby greats as Sean Fitzpatrick, John Kirwan, Grant Fox and Michael Jones. The tournament was seen as a major success and proved that the event was viable in the long term. It also led to many countries joining the International Rugby Football Board which in turn led the IRFB to become the true authority for the running of international rugby union.

Participating nations

There was no qualification for the inaugural World Cup so the tournament comprised the seven members of the IRFB, with the remaining nine places filled by teams invited by the IRFB.

IRFB Member Nations Invited Nations

Venues

Auckland Wellington Christchurch Dunedin
Eden Park Athletic Park Lancaster Park Carisbrook
Capacity: 48,000 Capacity: 39,000 Capacity: 36,500 Capacity: 35,000
Rotorua Napier Hamilton Brisbane
Rotorua International Stadium McLean Park Rugby Park Ballymore Stadium
Capacity: 35,000 Capacity: 30,000 Capacity: 30,000 Capacity: 24,000
Sydney Invercargill Palmerston North
Concord Oval Rugby Park Stadium Showgrounds Oval
Capacity: 20,000 Capacity: 30,000 Capacity: 20,000

Squads

Referees

  • Kerry Fitzgerald
  • Bob Fordham
  • Fred Howard
  • Roger Quittenton
  • René Hourquet
  • Guy Maurette
  • David Burnett

Pools and format

Pool 1 Pool 2 Pool 3 Pool 4

 Australia
 England
 Japan
 United States

 Canada
 Ireland
 Tonga
 Wales

 Argentina
 Fiji
 Italy
 New Zealand

 France
 Romania
 Scotland
 Zimbabwe

  • Pool 1 was played in Australia
  • Pool 2 was played with five matches held in New Zealand and one in Australia
  • Pool 3 was played in New Zealand
  • Pool 4 was played in New Zealand

The inaugural World Cup was contested by 16 nations. There was no qualifying tournament to determine the participants; instead, the 16 nations were invited by the International Rugby Football Board to compete. The simple 16-team pool/knock-out format was used with the teams divided into four pools of four, with each team playing the others in their pool once, for a total of three matches per team in the pool stage. Nations were awarded two points for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss: teams finishing level on points were separated by tries scored, rather than total points difference (had it been otherwise, Argentina would have taken second place in Group C ahead of Fiji, although France would still have won Group D.) The top two nations of every pool advanced to the quarter-finals. The runners-up of each pool faced the winners of a different pool in the quarter-finals. A standard single-elimination tournament followed, with the losers of the semi-finals contesting an additional play-off match to determine third place.

A total of 32 matches (24 in the pool stage and eight in the knock-out stage) were played in the tournament over 29 days from 22 May to 20 June 1987.

Pool stage

Pool 1

Team P W D L PF PA tries Pts
 Australia 330010841186
 England 320110032154
 United States 3102399952
 Japan 30034812370
23 May 1987
Australia  19–6  England
Try: Campese
Poidevin
Con: Lynagh
Pen: Lynagh (3)
Try: Harrison
Con: Webb
Concord Oval, Sydney
Attendance: 17,896
Referee: Keith Lawrence (New Zealand)

24 May 1987
Japan  18–21  United States
Try: Taumoefolau (2)
Yoshinaga
Pen: Yoshinaga
Kutsuki
Try: Nelson
Purcell
Lambert
Con: Nelson (3)
Pen: Nelson
Ballymore, Brisbane
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: Guy Maurette (France)

30 May 1987
England  60–7  Japan
Try: Harrison (3)
Underwood (2)
Salmon
Richards
Redman
Rees
Simms
Con: Webb (7)
Pen: Webb (2)
Try: Miyamoto
Pen: Matsuo
Concord Oval, Sydney
Attendance: 4,893
Referee: René Hourquet (France)

31 May 1987
Australia  47–12  United States
Try: Leeds (2)
Penalty try
Campese
Smith
Slack
Papworth
Codey
Con: Lynagh (6)
Pen: Lynagh
Try: Nelson
Con: Nelson
Pen: Nelson
Drop: Horton
Ballymore, Brisbane
Attendance: 10,855
Referee: Brian Anderson (Scotland)

3 June 1987
England  34–6  United States
Try: Winterbottom (2)
Harrison
Dooley
Con: Webb (3)
Pen: Webb (4)
Try: Purcell
Con: Nelson
Concord Oval, Sydney
Attendance: 8,785
Referee: Kerry Fitzgerald (Australia)

3 June 1987
Australia  42–23  Japan
Try: Slack (2)
Burke (2)
Tuynman
Grigg
Hartill
Campese
Con: Lynagh (5)
Try: Kutsuki (2)
Fujita
Con: Okidoi
Pen: Okidoi (2)
Drop: Okidoi
Concord Oval, Sydney
Attendance: 8,785
Referee: Jim Fleming (Scotland)

Pool 2

Team P W D L PF PA Tries Pts
 Wales 33008231136
 Ireland 32018441114
 Canada 3102659072
 Tonga 3003299830
24 May 1987
Canada  37–4  Tonga
Try: Palmer (2)
Vaesen (2)
Stuart
Frame
Penalty try
Con: Wyatt (2)
Gareth Rees
Pen: Rees
Try: Valu
McLean Park, Napier
Attendance: 7,000
Referee: Clive Norling (Wales)

25 May 1987
 Ireland 6–13  Wales
Pen: Kiernan (2)
Try: Ring
Pen: Thorburn
Drop: Davies (2)
Athletic Park, Wellington
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Kerry Fitzgerald (Australia)

29 May 1987
Tonga  16–29  Wales
Try: Fielea
Fifita
Con: Liavaʻa
Pen: Liavaʻa
Amone
Try: Webbe (3)
Hadley
Con: Thorburn (2)
Pen: Thorburn (2)
Drop: Davies

30 May 1987
Canada  19–46  Ireland
Try: Cardinal
Pen: Rees (3)
Wyatt
Drop: Rees
Try: Crossan (2)
Bradley
Spillane
Ringland
MacNeill
Con: Kiernan (5)
Pen: Kiernan (2)
Drop: Ward
Kiernan
Carisbrook, Dunedin
Attendance: 9,000
Referee: Fred Howard (England)

3 June 1987
Canada  9–40  Wales
Pen: Rees (3)
Try: Evans (4)
Devereux
Bowen
Hadley
Phillips
Con: Thorburn (4)
Rugby Park, Invercargill
Attendance: 14,000
Referee: Dave Bishop (New Zealand)

3 June 1987
 Ireland 32–9  Tonga
Try: Mullin (3)
MacNeill (2)
Con: Ward (3)
Pen: Ward (2)
Pen: Amone (3)
Ballymore, Brisbane
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: Guy Maurette (France)

Pool 3

Team P W D L PF PA tries Pts
 New Zealand 330019034306
 Fiji 31025610162
 Italy 31024011052
 Argentina 3102499042
22 May 1987
New Zealand  70–6  Italy
Try: Kirwan (2)
Kirk (2)
Green (2)
Penalty try
Jones
Taylor
McDowall
Stanley
Whetton
Con: Fox (8)
Pen: Fox (2)
Pen: Collodo
Drop: Collodo
Eden Park, Auckland
Attendance: 20,000
Referee: Bob Fordham (Australia)

24 May 1987
Argentina  9–28  Fiji
Try: Penalty try
Con: Porta
Pen: Porta
Try: Gale
Naivilawasa
Nalaga
Savai
Con: Koroduadua (2)
Rokowailoa
Pen: Koroduadua (2)
Rugby Park, Hamilton
Attendance: 13,000
Referee: Jim Fleming (Scotland)

27 May 1987
New Zealand  74–13  Fiji
Try: Gallagher (4)
Green (4)
Kirk
Kirwan
Penalty try
Whetton
Con: Fox (10)
Pen: Fox (2)
Try: Cama
Pen: Koroduadua (3)
Lancaster Park, Christchurch
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Derek Bevan (Wales)

28 May 1987
Argentina  25–16  Italy
Try: Lanza
Gómez
Con: Porta
Pen: Porta (5)
Try: Innocenti
Cuttitta
Con: Collodo
Pen: Collodo (2)
Lancaster Park, Christchurch
Attendance: 2,000
Referee: Roger Quittenton (England)

31 May 1987
Fiji  15–18  Italy
Try: Naivilawasa
Con: Koroduadua
Pen: Koroduadua (2)
Drop: Qoro
Try: Cuttitta
Cucchiella
Mascioletti
Pen: Collodo
Drop: Collodo
Carisbrook, Dunedin
Attendance: 13,000
Referee: Keith Lawrence (New Zealand)

1 June 1987
New Zealand  46–15  Argentina
Try: Kirk
Brooke
Stanley
Earl
Crowley
Whetton
Con: Fox (2)
Pen: Fox (6)
Try: Lanza
Con: Porta
Pen: Porta (3)
Athletic Park, Wellington
Attendance: 30,000
Referee: Roger Quittenton (England)

Pool 4

Team P W D L PF PA tries Pts
 France 321014544255
 Scotland 321013569225
 Romania 31026113052
 Zimbabwe 30035315150
23 May 1987
Romania  21–20  Zimbabwe
Try: Paraschiv
Toader
Hodorca
Pen: Alexandru (3)
Try: Tsimba (2)
Neill
Con: Ferreira
Pen: Ferreira (2)
Eden Park, Auckland
Attendance: 4,500
Referee: Stephen Hilditch (Ireland)

23 May 1987
France  20–20  Scotland
Try: Sella
Berbizier
Blanco
Con: Blanco
Pen: Blanco (2)
Try: White
Duncan
Pen: Hastings (4)
Lancaster Park, Christchurch
Attendance: 18,000
Referee: Fred Howard (England)

28 May 1987
France  55–12  Romania
Try: Lagisquet (2)
Charvet (2)
Sella
Andrieu
Camberabero
Erbani
Laporte
Con: Laporte (8)
Pen: Laporte
Pen: Bezuscu (4)
Athletic Park, Wellington
Attendance: 7,000
Referee: Bob Fordham (Australia)

30 May 1987
Scotland  60–21  Zimbabwe
Try: Tait (2)
Tukalo (2)
Duncan (2)
Paxton (2)
Oliver
Hastings
Jeffrey
Con: Hastings (8)
Try: Buitendag
Con: Grobler
Pen: Grobler (5)
Athletic Park, Wellington
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: David Burnett (Ireland)

2 June 1987
Romania  28–55  Scotland
Try: Murariu (2)
Toader
Con: Alexandru
Ion
Pen: Alexandru (3)
Ion
Try: Jeffrey (3)
Tait (2)
Hastings (2)
Duncan
Tukalo
Con: Hastings (8)
Pen: Hastings
Carisbrook, Dunedin
Attendance: 14,000
Referee: Stephen Hilditch (Ireland)

2 June 1987
France  70–12  Zimbabwe
Try: Modin (3)
Camberabero (3)
Charvet (2)
Rodriguez (2)
Dubroca
Estève
Laporte
Con: Camberabero (9)
Try: Kaulback
Con: Grobler
Pen: Grobler (2)
Eden Park, Auckland
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Derek Bevan (Wales)

Knockout stage

 
Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
 
          
 
6 June – Lancaster Park, Christchurch
 
 
 New Zealand30
 
14 June – Ballymore, Brisbane
 
 Scotland3
 
 New Zealand49
 
8 June – Ballymore, Brisbane
 
 Wales6
 
 Wales16
 
20 June – Eden Park, Auckland
 
 England3
 
 New Zealand29
 
7 June – Eden Park, Auckland
 
 France9
 
 France31
 
13 June – Concord Oval, Sydney
 
 Fiji16
 
 France30
 
7 June – Concord Oval, Sydney
 
 Australia24 Third place
 
 Australia33
 
18 June – Rotorua International Stadium, Rotorua
 
 Ireland15
 
 Wales22
 
 
 Australia21
 

Quarter-finals

6 June 1987
New Zealand  30–3  Scotland
Try: Whetton
Gallagher
Con: Fox (2)
Pen: Fox (6)
Pen: Hastings
Lancaster Park, Christchurch
Attendance: 30,000
Referee: David Burnett (Ireland)

7 June 1987
Australia  33–15  Ireland
Try: Burke (2)
McIntyre
Smith
Con: Lynagh (4)
Pen: Lynagh (3)
Try: MacNeill
Kiernan
Con: Kiernan (2)
Pen: Kiernan
Concord Oval, Sydney
Attendance: 14,356
Referee: Brian Anderson (Scotland)

7 June 1987
Fiji  16–31  France
Try: Qoro
Damu
Con: Koroduadua
Pen: Koroduadua (2)
Try: Rodriguez (2)
Lorieux
Lagisquet
Con: Laporte (3)
Pen: Laporte (2)
Drop: Laporte
Eden Park, Auckland
Attendance: 17,000
Referee: Clive Norling (Wales)

8 June 1987
England  3–16  Wales
Pen: Webb
Try: Roberts
Jones
Devereux
Con: Thorburn (2)
Ballymore, Brisbane
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: René Hourquet (France)

Semi-finals

13 June 1987
Australia  24–30  France
Try: Campese
Codey
Con: Lynagh (2)
Pen: Lynagh (3)
Drop: Lynagh
Report Try: Lorieux
Sella
Lagisquet
Blanco
Con: Camberabero (4)
Pen: Camberabero (2)
Concord Oval, Sydney
Attendance: 17,768
Referee: Brian Anderson (Scotland)

14 June 1987
New Zealand  49–6  Wales
Try: Kirwan (2)
Shelford (2)
Drake
Whetton
Stanley
Brooke-Cowden
Con: Fox (7)
Pen: Fox
Report Try: Devereux
Con: Thorburn
Ballymore, Brisbane
Attendance: 22,576
Referee: Kerry Fitzgerald (Australia)

Third-place play-off

18 June 1987
Australia  21–22  Wales
Try: Burke
Grigg
Con: Lynagh (2)
Pen: Lynagh (2)
Drop: Lynagh
Report Try: Roberts
Moriarty
Hadley
Con: Thorburn (2)
Pen: Thorburn (2)
Rotorua International Stadium, Rotorua
Attendance: 29,000
Referee: Fred Howard (England)

Final

20 June 1987
New Zealand  29–9  France
Try: Jones
Kirk
Kirwan
Con: Fox
Pen: Fox (4)
Drop: Fox
Report Try: Berbizier
Con: Camberabero
Pen: Camberabero
Eden Park, Auckland
Attendance: 48,035
Referee: Kerry Fitzgerald (Australia)

Statistics

The tournament's top point scorer was New Zealand's Grant Fox, who scored 126 points. Craig Green and John Kirwan scored the most tries, six in total.

Top 10 point scorers
Player Team Position Played Tries Conv­ersions Penal­ties Drop goals Total points
Grant Fox  New Zealand First five-eighth 6030211126
Michael Lynagh  Australia Fly-half 602012282
Gavin Hastings  Scotland Fullback 43166062
Didier Camberabero  France Fly-half 54143053
Jonathan Webb  England Fullback 40117043
Guy Laporte  France Fly-half 32113142
Paul Thorburn  Wales Fullback 60115037
Mike Kiernan  Ireland Centre 3175136
Severo Koroduadua  Fiji Fullback 4049035
Hugo Porta  Argentina Fly-half 3039033

Broadcasters

The event was broadcast in Australia by ABC and in the United Kingdom by the BBC.

References

  1. Fedorets, Alexander. "Russians target 2011 World Cup". The M&G Online.

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