1987 Rugby World Cup

1987 Rugby World Cup
Tournament details

Host nations	New Zealand Australia
Dates	22 May – 20 June 1987
No. of nations	16
Final positions
Champions	New Zealand
Runner-up	France
Third-place	Wales
Tournament statistics
Matches played	32
Top scorer(s)	Grant Fox (126)
Most tries	Craig Green John Kirwan (6 tries each)
1991 →

The 1987 Rugby World Cup was the first Rugby Union World Cup. New Zealand and Australia agreed to co-host the tournament. New Zealand hosted 20 matches — 17 pool stage matches, two quarter-finals and the final. Australia as the junior partner hosted 12 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 surprise third-place winners: 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.

Sixteen teams competed in the inaugural tournament. Seven of the 16 places were automatically filled by the International Rugby Football Board members—New Zealand, Australia, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and France. South Africa was unable to compete because of the international sports 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 refused 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 here to stay. 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 then-members of the IRFB, with the remaining nine places filled by teams invited by the IRFB.

IRFB Member Nations	Invited Nations
England France Ireland Australia New Zealand Scotland Wales	Zimbabwe Argentina Canada United States Japan Italy Romania Fiji Tonga

South Africa was excluded due to its pro apartheid policies.
Soviet Union were to be invited but declined.
Western Samoa was not invited despite having a better record than some of the other invited nations.

Stadia

Australia

City	Stadium	Capacity
Brisbane	Ballymore Stadium	24,000
Sydney	Concord Oval	20,000

New Zealand

City	Stadium	Capacity
Auckland	Eden Park	45,472
Wellington	Athletic Park	39,000
Christchurch	Lancaster Park	36,500
Dunedin	Carisbrook	35,000
Rotorua	Rotorua International Stadium	35,000
Napier	McLean Park	30,000
Hamilton	Rugby Park	30,000 ^[2]
Invercargill	Rugby Park Stadium	17,000
Palmerston North	Showgrounds Oval	20,000

Squads

Main article: 1987 Rugby World Cup squads

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 with one match held in Australia
Pool 3 was played in New Zealand
Pool 4 was played in New Zealand

The inaugural World Cup was contested by 16 different nations. There was no qualifying tournament to determine the participants, and 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 sixteen nations divided into four pools of four nations, with each nation playing their other pool opponents once, every nation playing three times during the pool stages. Nations were awarded 2 points for a win, 1 for a draw and zero 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. The winners moved on to the semi finals, with the winners then moving onto the final, and the losers of the semi finals contesting a third/fourth place play off.

Points System

The points system that was used in the pool stage was:

2 points for a win
1 point for a draw
0 points for playing

A total of 32 matches (24 Pool Stage & 8 Knock-out) were played throughout the tournament over 29 days from Friday 22 May 1987 to Saturday 20 June 1987.

Pool stage

Pool 1

Team	P	W	L	PF	PA	Pts
Australia	3	3	0	108	41	6
England	3	2	1	100	32	4
United States	3	1	2	39	99	2
Japan	3	0	3	48	123	0

23 May 1987

Australia	19–6	England
Tries: 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
Tries: Taumoefolau (2) Yoshinaga Pen: Yoshinaga Kutsuki		Tries: Nelson Purcell Lambert Con: Nelson (3) Pen: Nelson

Ballymore, Brisbane
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: Guy Maurette (France)

30 May 1987

England	60–7	Japan
Tries: 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
Tries: 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
Tries: 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
Tries: Slack (2) Burke (2) Tuynman Grigg Hartill Campese Con: Lynagh (5)		Tries: 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	L	PF	PA	Pts
Wales	3	3	0	82	31	6
Ireland	3	2	1	84	41	4
Canada	3	1	2	65	90	2
Tonga	3	0	3	29	98	0

24 May 1987

Canada	37–4	Tonga
Tries: 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
Tries: Fielea Fifita Con: Liava'a Pen: Liava'a Amone		Tries: Webbe (3) Hadley Con: Thorburn (2) Pen: Thorburn (2) Drop: Davies

Showgrounds Oval, Palmerston North
Attendance: 19,000
Referee: David Bishop (New Zealand)

30 May 1987

Canada	19–46	Ireland
Try: Cardinal Pen: Rees (3) Wyatt Drop: Rees		Tries: 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)		Tries: Evans (4) Devereux Bowen Hadley Phillips Con: Thorburn (4)

Rugby Park, Invercargill
Attendance: 14,000
Referee: David Bishop (New Zealand)

3 June 1987

Ireland	32–9	Tonga
Tries: 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	L	PF	PA	Pts
New Zealand	3	3	0	190	34	6
Fiji	3	1	2	56	101	2
Argentina	3	1	2	49	90	2
Italy	3	1	2	40	110	2

Fiji qualified for the highest number of tries (Fiji 6, Italy 5, Argentina 4)

22 May 1987

New Zealand	70–6	Italy
Tries: Kirwan (2) Kirk (2) Green (2) Penalty try Jones Taylor McDowell 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		Tries: 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
Tries: 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
Tries: Lanza Gómez Con: Porta Pen:Porta (5)		Tries: 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: Quro		Tries: 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
Tries: 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	Pts
France	3	2	1	0	145	44	5
Scotland	3	2	1	0	135	69	5
Romania	3	1	0	2	61	130	2
Zimbabwe	3	0	0	3	53	151	0

23 May 1987

Romania	21–20	Zimbabwe
Tries: Paraschiv Toader Hodorca Pen: Alexandru (3)		Tries: 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
Tries: Sella Berbizier Blanco Con: Blanco Pen: Blanco (2)		Tries: White Duncan Pen: Hastings (4)

Lancaster Park, Christchurch
Attendance: 18,000
Referee: Fred Howard (England)

28 May 1987

France	55–12	Romania
Tries: 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
Tries: 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
Tries: Murariu (2) Toader Con: Alexandru Ion Pen: Alexandru (3) Ion		Tries: 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
Tries: Modin (3) Camberabero (3) Charvet (2) Rodriguez (2) Dubroca Estève Laporte Con: Camberabero (9)		Try: Kaulbach Con: Grobler Pen: Grobler (2)

Eden Park, Auckland
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Derek Bevan (Wales)

Knock-out stage

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Final

6 June – Lancaster Park, Christchurch

New Zealand

14 June – Ballymore, Brisbane

Scotland

New Zealand

8 June – Ballymore, Brisbane

Wales

Wales

20 June – Eden Park, Auckland

England

New Zealand

7 June – Eden Park, Auckland

France

France

13 June – Concord Oval, Sydney

Fiji

France

Third place

7 June – Concord Oval, Sydney

Australia

Australia

Wales

Ireland

Australia

18 June – Rotorua International Stadium, Rotorua

Quarter-finals

6 June 1987

New Zealand	30–3	Scotland
Tries: 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
Tries: Burke (2) McIntyre Smith Con: Lynagh (4) Pen: Lynagh (3)		Tries: MacNeill Kiernan Con: Kiernan (2) Pen: Kiernan

Concord Oval, Sydney
Attendance: 14,356
Referee: Brian Anderson (Scotland)

7 June 1987

Fiji	16–31	France
Tries: Qoro Damu Con: Koroduadua Pen: Koroduadua (2)		Tries: 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		Tries: Roberts Jones Devereux Con: Thorburn (2)

Ballymore, Brisbane
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: René Hourquet (France)

Semi-finals

13 June 1987

Australia	24–30	France
Tries: Campese Codey Con: Lynagh (2) Pen: Lynagh (3) Drop: Lynagh	Report	Tries: 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
Tries: 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
Tries: Burke Grigg Con: Lynagh (2) Pen: Lynagh (2) Drop: Lynagh	Report	Tries: Roberts Moriarty Hadley Con: Thorburn (2) Pen: Thorburn (2)

Rotorua International Stadium, Rotorua
Attendance: 29,000
Referee: Fred Howard (England)

Final

Main article: 1987 Rugby World Cup Final

20 June 1987

New Zealand	29-9	France
Tries: 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)

Broadcasters

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

Notes and references

↑ Alexander Fedorets. "Russians target 2011 World Cup". The M&G Online.
↑ Waikato Stadium now stands on the ground's former site.

External links

Preceded by Inaugural	Rugby World Cup 1987 New Zealand	Succeeded by 1991 Rugby World Cup

Rugby World Cup

Tournaments	Australia/New Zealand 1987 England/France/Ireland/Scotland/Wales 1991 South Africa 1995 Wales 1999 Australia 2003 France 2007 New Zealand 2011 England 2015 Japan 2019 2023

Qualifying	1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019

Finals	1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019

Squads	1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015

Overview	History Hosts Qualification Final Trophy Theme song

Statistics	Records and statistics Hat-tricks Try scorers Red cards Team appearances Overall record

National team appearances in the Rugby World Cup by tier

Tier 1 teams	Argentina Australia England France Ireland Italy New Zealand Scotland South Africa Wales

Tier 2 teams	Canada Fiji Georgia Japan Namibia Portugal Romania Russia Samoa Spain Tonga United States Uruguay

Tier 3 teams	Ivory Coast Zimbabwe

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