1995 Rugby World Cup
 | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host nation |
 South Africa |
| Dates | 25 May – 24 June 1995 |
| No. of nations | 16 (52 qualifying) |
| Final positions | |
Champions  |
South Africa |
Runner-up  |
 New Zealand |
Third-place  |
 France |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 32 |
| Top scorer(s) |
Thierry Lacroix (112) |
| Most tries |
Jonah Lomu Marc Ellis (7 tries each) |
|
← 1991 1999 → | |
The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country.
The World Cup was the first major sporting event to take place in South Africa following the end of apartheid. It was also the first World Cup in which South Africa was allowed to compete; the International Rugby Football Board (IRFB, now World Rugby) had only readmitted South Africa to international rugby in 1992, following negotiations to end apartheid. The World Cup would also be the last major event of rugby union's amateur era; two months after the tournament, the IRFB opened the sport to professionalism.
In the final, held at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on 24 June, South Africa defeated New Zealand 15–12, with Joel Stransky scoring a drop goal in extra time to win the match. Following South Africa's victory, Nelson Mandela, the President of South Africa, wearing a Springboks rugby shirt and cap, presented the Webb Ellis Cup to the South African captain François Pienaar. Mandela and Pienaar's involvement in the World Cup is the subject of the John Carlin book Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation, its 2009 film adaptation Invictus, and the ESPN TV documentary The 16th Man in 2010.
Qualifying
| Africa | Americas | Europe | Oceania/Asia |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
The eight quarter-finalists from the 1991 Rugby World Cup all received automatic entry, as did South Africa, as hosts. The remaining seven of the 16 positions available in the tournament were filled by regional qualifiers. The qualifying tournaments were broken up into regional associations: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. Côte d'Ivoire qualified through Africa, Japan through Asia, Argentina through the Americas, Italy, Romania and Wales through Europe, Tonga through Oceania.
Squads
Venues
The 1995 tournament was the first Rugby World Cup to be hosted by just one country, and thus, all the venues are within the one country. In total, nine stadiums were used for the World Cup, most being owned by local municipalities, and the majority of the venues were upgraded prior to the tournament. Six of the nine stadiums were South African Test grounds. The four largest stadiums were used for the finals, with the final taking place at Johannesburg's Ellis Park.
There were games originally scheduled to have been played in Brakpan, Germiston, Pietermaritzburg and Witbank, but these games were reallocated to other venues. This reduced the number of venues from 14 to 9. The reasons cited for this change had to do with facilities for both the press and spectators, as well as the security. The change in the itinerary occurred in January 1994. Further changes occurred in April, so that evening games were played at stadiums with good floodlighting. It is also thought that Potchefstroom was an original venue.
Venues were paired:
- Pool 1: Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Stellenbosch
- Pool 2: Durban and East London
- Pool 3: Johannesburg and Bloemfontein
- Pool 4: Pretoria and Rustenburg
| City | Stadium | Capacity (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg | Ellis Park | 63,000 |
| Pretoria | Loftus Versfeld | 50,000 |
| Cape Town | Newlands | 50,000 |
| Durban | Kings Park Stadium | 50,000 |
| Port Elizabeth | Boet Erasmus Stadium | 38,950 |
| Bloemfontein | Free State Stadium | 40,000 |
| Rustenburg | Olympia Park | 30,000 |
| East London | Basil Kenyon Stadium | 22,000 |
| Stellenbosch | Danie Craven Stadium | 16,000 |
Pools & format
| Pool A | Pool B | Pool C | Pool D |
|---|---|---|---|
The tournament was contested by 16 different nations using the same format that was used in 1987 and 1991 and in total 32 matches were played. The competition began on 25 May, when the hosts South Africa defeated Australia 27–18 at Newlands in Cape Town. The tournament culminated with the final between South Africa and the All Blacks at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on 24 June. In total, the tournament ran for around one month. The nations were broken up into four pools of four, with each pool consisting of two teams that were automatically qualified and two that went through the qualifying tournaments.
Points System
The points system that was used in the pool stage was unchanged from 1991:
- 3 points for a win
- 2 points for a draw
- 1 point for playing
Knock-out Stage
Pool winners were drawn against opposite pool runners-up in the quarter-finals. For example, the winner of A faces the runner up of B, and the winner of B face the runner-up of A. The whole finals stage adopts a knock-out format, and the winners of the quarter-finals advance to the semi-finals, where winner 1 faces winner 2, and winner 3 faces winner 4. The winners advance to the final, and the losers contest a third/fourth place play-off two days before the final.
A total of 32 matches (24 Pool Stage & 8 Knock-out) were played throughout the tournament over 30 days from Thursday 25 May 1995 to Saturday 24 June 1995.
Pool stage
Pool A
| Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 68 | 26 | 9 |
 Australia |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 87 | 41 | 7 |
 Canada |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 45 | 50 | 5 |
 Romania |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 97 | 3 |
| 25 May 1995 |
| South Africa |
27–18 | Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Try: Hendriks Stransky Con: Stransky Pen: Stransky (4) Drop: Stransky |
Try: Kearns Lynagh Con: Lynagh Pen: Lynagh (2) |
| 26 May 1995 |
| Canada |
34–3 | Romania |
|---|---|---|
| Try: Charron McKenzie Snow Con: Rees (2) Pen: Rees (4) Drop: Rees |
Pen: Nichitean |
| 30 May 1995 |
| South Africa |
21–8 | Romania |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Richter (2) Con: Johnson Pen: Johnson (3) |
Tries: Guranescu Pen: Ivanciuc |
| 31 May 1995 |
| Australia |
27–11 | Canada |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Lynagh, Tamanivalu, Roff Con: Lynagh (3) Pen: Lynagh (2) |
Tries: Charron Pen: Rees (2) |
| 3 June 1995 |
| Australia |
42–3 | Romania |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Smith, Wilson, Roff (2), Foley, Burke Con: Burke (2), Eales (4) |
Pen: Ivanciuc |
Pool B
| Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 England |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 95 | 60 | 9 |
 Western Samoa |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 96 | 88 | 7 |
 Italy |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 69 | 94 | 5 |
 Argentina |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 69 | 87 | 3 |
| 27 May 1995 |
| Italy |
18–42 | Western Samoa |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Vaccari, Cuttitta Con: Dominguez Pen: Dominguez Drop: Dominguez |
Tries: Lima (2), Harder (3), Kellet, Tatupu Con: Kellet (2) Pen: Kellet (1) |
| 27 May 1995 |
| Argentina |
18–24 | England |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Arbizu, Noriega Con: Arbizu Pen: Arbizu (2) |
Pen: Andrew (6) Drop: Andrew (2) |
| 30 May 1995 |
| Western Samoa |
32–26 | Argentina |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Lam, Leaupepe, Harder Con: Kellet Pen: Kellet (5) |
Tries: Penalty try, Crexell Con: Cilley (2) Pen: Cilley (4) |
| 31 May 1995 |
| England |
27–20 | Italy |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: R. Underwood, T. Underwood Con: Andrew Pen: Andrew (5) |
Tries: Cuttitta, Vaccari Con: Dominguez (2) Pen: Dominguez (2) |
| 4 June 1995 |
| Argentina |
25–31 | Italy |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Martin, Penalty try, Corral, Cilley Con: Cilley Pen: Cilley |
Tries: Vaccari, Gerosa, Dominguez Con: Dominguez (2) Pen: Dominguez (4) |
| 4 June 1995 |
| England |
44–22 | Western Samoa |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: R. Underwood (2), Back, Penalty try Con: Callard (3) Pen: Callard(5) Drop: Catt |
Tries: Sini (2), Umaga Con: Fa'amasino (2) Pen: Fa'amasino |
Pool C
| Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 222 | 45 | 9 |
 Ireland |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 93 | 94 | 7 |
 Wales |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 89 | 68 | 5 |
 Japan |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 55 | 252 | 3 |
| 27 May 1995 |
| Japan |
10–57 | Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Ota (2) | Tries: G. Thomas (3), I. Evans (2), Moore, Taylor Con: N. Jenkins (5) Pen: N. Jenkins (4) |
| 27 May 1995 |
| Ireland |
19–43 | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Corkery, McBride, Halpin Con: Elwood (2) |
Tries: Lomu (2), Kronfeld, Bunce, Osborne Con: Mehrtens (3) Pen: Mehrtens (4) |
| 31 May 1995 |
| Ireland |
50–28 | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Francis, Geoghegan, Corkery, Halvey, Hogan, 2 Penalty Tries Con: Burke (6) Pen: Burke |
Tries: Latu, Izawa, Hirao, Takura Con: Yoshida (4) |
| 31 May 1995 |
| New Zealand |
34–9 | Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Ellis, Little, Kronfeld Con: Mehrtens (2) Pen: Mehrtens (4) Drop: Mehrtens |
Pen: N. Jenkins (2) Drop: N. Jenkins |
| 4 June 1995 |
| Japan |
17–145 | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Kajihara (2) Con: Hirose (2) Pen: Hirose |
Tries: Ellis (6), Rush (3), Wilson (3), R. Brooke (2), Osborne (2), Loe, Culhane, Henderson, Dowd, Ieremia Con: Culhane (20) |
| 4 June 1995 |
| Ireland |
24–23 | Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Halvey, Popplewell, McBride Con: Elwood (3) Pen: Elwood |
Tries: Humphreys, Taylor Con: N. Jenkins (2) Pen: N. Jenkins (2) Drop: A. Davies |
Pool D
| Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 114 | 47 | 9 |
 Scotland |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 149 | 27 | 7 |
 Tonga |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 44 | 90 | 5 |
 Ivory Coast |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 29 | 172 | 3 |
| 26 May 1995 |
| Ivory Coast |
0–89 | Scotland |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: G. Hastings (4), Logan (2), Walton (2), Wright, Chalmers, Stanger, Burnell, Shiel Con: G. Hastings (9) Pen: G. Hastings (2) |
| 26 May 1995 |
| France |
38–10 | Tonga |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Lacroix (2), Hueber, Saint-André Con: Lacroix (3) Pen: Lacroix (3) Drop: Delaigue |
Tries: Va'enuku Con: Tu'ipulotu Pen: Tu'ipulotu |
| 30 May 1995 |
| France |
54–18 | Ivory Coast |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Lacroix (2), Benazzi, Téchoueyres, Viars, Accoceberry, Saint-André, Costes Con: Deylaud (2), Lacroix (2) Pen: Lacroix (2) |
Tries: Soulama, Camara Con: Kouassi Pen: Kouassi (2) |
| 30 May 1995 |
| Scotland |
41–5 | Tonga |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: S. Hastings, Peters, G. Hastings Con: G. Hastings Pen: G. Hastings (8) |
Tries: Fenukitau |
| 3 June 1995 |
| Ivory Coast |
11–29 | Tonga |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Okou Pen: Dali (2) |
Tries: Penalty try, Latukefu, 'Otai, Tu'ipulotu Con: Tu'ipulotu (3) Pen: Tu'ipulotu |
| 3 June 1995 |
| France |
22–19 | Scotland |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Ntamack Con: Lacroix Pen: Lacroix (5) |
Tries: Wainwright Con: G. Hastings Pen: G. Hastings (4) |
- Three minutes into the match between Côte d'Ivoire and Tonga, the Ivorian winger Max Brito was crushed beneath several other players, leaving him paralyzed below the neck.[1]
Knock-out stage
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 10 June – Ellis Park, Johannesburg | ||||||||||
| South Africa |
42 | |||||||||
| 17 June – Kings Park Stadium, Durban | ||||||||||
| Western Samoa |
14 | |||||||||
| South Africa |
19 | |||||||||
| 10 June – Kings Park Stadium, Durban | ||||||||||
| France |
15 | |||||||||
| France |
36 | |||||||||
| 24 June – Ellis Park, Johannesburg | ||||||||||
| Ireland |
12 | |||||||||
| South Africa (a.e.t.) |
15 | |||||||||
| 11 June – Newlands, Cape Town | ||||||||||
| New Zealand |
12 | |||||||||
| England |
25 | |||||||||
| 18 June – Newlands, Cape Town | ||||||||||
| Australia |
22 | |||||||||
| England |
29 | Third place | ||||||||
| 11 June – Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria | ||||||||||
| New Zealand |
45 | |||||||||
| New Zealand |
48 | France |
19 | |||||||
| Scotland |
30 | England |
9 | |||||||
| 22 June – Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria | ||||||||||
Quarter-finals
| 10 June 1995 |
| France |
36–12 | Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Saint-André, Ntamack Con: Lacroix Pen: Lacroix (8) |
Pen: Elwood (4) |
| 10 June 1995 |
| South Africa |
42–14 | Western Samoa |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Williams (4), Rossouw, Andrews Con: Johnson (3) Pen: Johnson (2) |
Tries: Tatupu, Nu'uali'itia Con: Fa'amasin (2) |
| 11 June 1995 |
| England |
25–22 | Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: T. Underwood Con: Andrew Pen: Andrew (5) Drop: Andrew |
Report | Tries: Smith Con: Lynagh Pen: Lynagh (5) |
| 11 June 1995 |
| New Zealand |
48–30 | Scotland |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Little (2), Lomu, Mehrtens, Bunce, Fitzpatrick Con: Mehrtens (6) Pen: Mehrtens (2) |
Tries: Weir (2), S. Hastings Con: G. Hastings (3) Pen: G. Hastings (3) |
Semi-finals
| 18 June 1995 |
| England |
29–45 | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Carling (2), R. Underwood (2), Con: Andrew (3) Pen: Andrew |
Report | Tries: Lomu (4), Kronfeld, Bachop Con: Mehrtens (3) Pen: Mehrtens Drop: Z. Brooke, Mehrtens |
Third-place play-off
Final
The final was contested by New Zealand and hosts South Africa. Both nations finished undefeated at the top of their pools. South Africa defeated Western Samoa in the quarter finals, and then France in the semi-finals to reach the final; New Zealand defeated Scotland in the quarter-finals, and England in the semi-finals, a game in which Jonah Lomu famously scored four tries for the All Blacks. The final was played at Ellis Park in Johannesburg and refereed by Ed Morrison of England.
South Africa led 9–6 at half time, and New Zealand levelled the scores at 9–9 with a drop goal in the second half. Though Andrew Mehrtens almost kicked a late drop goal for the All Blacks, the score remained tied at full-time, forcing the game into extra time. Both teams scored penalty goals in the first half of extra time, but Joel Stransky then scored a drop goal to win the final for South Africa.
What happened after the match has become an iconic moment in the history of the sport. Nelson Mandela, wearing a Springbok rugby jersey and baseball cap, presented the Webb Ellis Cup to South African captain François Pienaar to the delight of the capacity crowd. The moment is thought by some to be one of the most famous finals of any sport.[2]
| 24 June 1995 |
| South Africa |
15–12 (a.e.t.) | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Pen: Stransky (3) Drop: Stransky (2) |
Report | Pen: Mehrtens (3) Drop: Mehrtens |
Broadcasters
The event was broadcast in Australia by Network Ten and in the United Kingdom by ITV.
Commemorative coins
The South African Mint issued a one-ounce gold proof "Protea" coin with a total mintage of 406 pieces to commemorate the event being hosted by South Africa.
References
- ↑ Pirate Irwin (4 October 2007). "Max Brito at end of tether after 12-year struggle". Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 9 January 2010.
- ↑ "Rugby World Cup history". BBC. 7 October 2003. Retrieved 7 October 2006.
External links
| Preceded by 1991 Rugby World Cup |
Rugby World Cup 1995 South Africa |
Succeeded by 1999 Rugby World Cup |
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