1987 Rugby World Cup

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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 (1st title)
Runner-up  France
Third place  Wales
Tournament statistics
Matches played32
Attendance478,449 (14,952 per match)
Top scorer(s)New Zealand Grant Fox (126)
Most triesNew Zealand Craig Green
New Zealand John Kirwan
(6 tries each)
1991

The 1987 Rugby World Cup was the first

John Kirwan, Grant Fox and Michael Jones. Wales finished third, and Australia
fourth, after conceding crucial tries in the dying seconds of both their semi-final against France and the third-place play-off against Wales.

Seven of the sixteen participating teams were 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]
There was no qualification process for the tournament.

The tournament witnessed a number of one-sided matches, with the seven 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. The tournament was seen as a major success and proved that the event was viable in the long term.

Participating nations

The tournament comprised the seven members of the IRFB, and nine teams invited by the IRFB; there was no qualification process for teams.

IRFB Member Nations Invited Nations

Venues

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

Squads

Referees

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 Pld W D L PF PA PD T Pts Qualification
 Australia 3 3 0 0 108 41 +67 18 6 Knockout stage
 England 3 2 0 1 100 32 +68 15 4
 
United States
3 1 0 2 39 99 −60 5 2
 Japan 3 0 0 3 48 123 −75 7 0
23 May 1987
New Zealand
)

24 May 1987
Nelson
Ballymore, Brisbane
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: Guy Maurette (France)

30 May 1987
England 60–7[6][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
Brian Anderson (Scotland
)

3 June 1987
Australia
)

3 June 1987
Jim Fleming (Scotland
)

Pool 2

Team Pld W D L PF PA PD T Pts Qualification
 Wales 3 3 0 0 82 31 +51 13 6 Knockout stage
 Ireland 3 2 0 1 84 41 +43 11 4
 Canada 3 1 0 2 65 90 −25 8 2
 Tonga 3 0 0 3 29 98 −69 3 0
24 May 1987
Try: Valu
McLean Park, Napier
Attendance: 7,000
Referee: Clive Norling (Wales)

25 May 1987
 
Australia
)

29 May 1987
New Zealand
)

30 May 1987
Kiernan
Carisbrook, Dunedin
Attendance: 9,000
Referee: Fred Howard (England)

3 June 1987
New Zealand
)

3 June 1987
 Ireland32–9[24][25] 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 Pld W D L PF PA PD T Pts Qualification
 New Zealand 3 3 0 0 190 34 +156 30 6 Knockout stage
 Fiji 3 1 0 2 56 101 −45 6 2[a]
 Italy 3 1 0 2 40 110 −70 5 2[a]
 Argentina 3 1 0 2 49 90 −41 4 2[a]
Source:[citation needed]
Notes:
  1. ^ a b c Fiji qualified for the highest number of tries (Fiji 6, Italy 5, Argentina 4)
22 May 1987
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
Lancaster Park, Christchurch
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Derek Bevan (Wales
)

28 May 1987
Lancaster Park, Christchurch
Attendance: 2,000
Referee: Roger Quittenton (England
)

31 May 1987
New Zealand
)

1 June 1987
Athletic Park, Wellington
Attendance: 30,000
Referee: Roger Quittenton (England
)

Pool 4

Team Pld W D L PF PA PD T Pts Qualification
 France 3 2 1 0 145 44 +101 25 5[a] Knockout stage
 Scotland 3 2 1 0 135 69 +66 22 5[a]
 Romania 3 1 0 2 61 130 −69 6 2
 Zimbabwe 3 0 0 3 53 151 −98 5 0
Source:[citation needed]
Notes:
  1. ^ a b France qualify as pool winner having scored three tries to Scotland's two in their drawn match.
23 May 1987
Romania 21–20 Zimbabwe
Try: Paraschiv
Toader
Hodorcă
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
Lancaster Park, Christchurch
Attendance: 18,000
Referee: Fred Howard (England
)

28 May 1987
Australia
)

30 May 1987
Athletic Park, Wellington
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: David Burnett (Ireland
)

2 June 1987
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
Kaulback
Con: Grobler
Pen: Grobler (2)
Eden Park, Auckland
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Derek Bevan (Wales)

Knockout stage

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

Quarter-finals

6 June 1987
Lancaster Park, Christchurch
Attendance: 30,000
Referee: David Burnett (Ireland
)

7 June 1987
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
Roberts
Jones
Devereux
Con: Thorburn (2)
Ballymore, Brisbane
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: René Hourquet (France)

Semi-finals

13 June 1987
Brian Anderson (Scotland
)

14 June 1987
Australia
)

Third-place play-off

18 June 1987
Roberts
Moriarty
Hadley
Con: Thorburn (2)
Pen: Thorburn (2)
Rotorua International Stadium, Rotorua
Attendance: 29,000
Referee: Fred Howard (England)

Final

20 June 1987
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
Fly-half
6 0 30 21 1 126
Michael Lynagh  Australia
Fly-half
6 0 20 12 2 82
Gavin Hastings  Scotland
Fullback
4 3 16 6 0 62
Didier Camberabero  France
Fly-half
5 4 14 3 0 53
Jonathan Webb  England
Fullback
4 0 11 7 0 43
Guy Laporte  France
Fly-half
3 2 11 3 1 42
Paul Thorburn  Wales
Fullback
6 0 11 5 0 37
Mike Kiernan  Ireland
Centre
3 1 7 5 1 36
Severo Koroduadua  Fiji
Fullback
4 0 4 9 0 35
Hugo Porta  Argentina
Fly-half
3 0 3 9 0 33

Broadcasters

The event was broadcast in

ABC and by TVNZ in New Zealand as host broadcasters supplying their pictures to broadcasters around the world and in the United Kingdom by the BBC and in Ireland by RTÉ.[citation needed
]

References

  1. ^ Fedorets, Alexander (31 July 2007). "Russians target 2011 World Cup". The M&G Online.
  2. ^ Australia vs England 1987 ESPN Scrum
  3. ^ Australia vs England 1987 World Rugby
  4. ^ Japan vs United States 1987 ESPN Scrum
  5. ^ Japan vs United States 1987 World Rugby
  6. ^ England vs Japan 1987 World Rugby
  7. ^ England vs Japan 1987 ESPN Scrum
  8. ^ Australia vs United States RWC 1987 Archived 15 April 2018 at the Wayback Machine ESPN Scrum
  9. ^ Australia vs United States RWC 1987 World Rugby
  10. ^ worldrugby.org. "World Rugby | world.rugby". www.world.rugby. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  11. ^ "England v United States of America". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  12. ^ "Australia v Japan". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  13. ^ worldrugby.org. "World Rugby | world.rugby". www.world.rugby. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  14. ^ Canada vs Tonga 1987 ESPN Scrum
  15. ^ Canada vs Tonga 1987 World Rugby
  16. ^ Ireland vs Wales 1987 World Rugby
  17. ^ Ireland vs Wales 1987 ESPN Scrum
  18. ^ Tonga vs Wales 1987 World Rugby
  19. ^ Tonga vs Wales 1987 ESPN Scrum
  20. ^ Canada vs Ireland 1987 ESPN Scrum
  21. ^ Canada vs Ireland 1987 World Rugby
  22. ^ Canada vs Wales 1987 Scrum.com
  23. ^ Canada vs Wales 1987 Worldrugby.com
  24. ^ Ireland vs Tonga 1987 ESPN Scrum
  25. ^ Ireland vs Tonga 1987 World Rugby

External links