2015 Rugby World Cup

"Rugby World Cup 2015" redirects here. For the video game based on the rugby event, see Rugby World Cup 2015 (video game).
2015 Rugby World Cup
Tournament details
Host nation  England
Dates 18 September – 31 October (44 days)
No. of nations 20 (96 qualifying)
Final positions
Champions   New Zealand
Runner-up   Australia
Third-place   South Africa
Tournament statistics
Matches played 48
Attendance 2,477,805 (51,621 per match)
Top scorer(s) Argentina Nicolás Sánchez (97)
Most tries New Zealand Julian Savea (8)
← 2011
2019 →

The 2015 Rugby World Cup was the eighth Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial rugby union world championship. The tournament was hosted by England[nb 1] from 18 September to 31 October.[1] New Zealand won the cup over runners-up Australia, with South Africa defeating Argentina to take third place.

Of the 20 countries competing in the World Cup in 2011, there was only one change: Uruguay replaced Russia. This was the first World Cup with no new teams to the tournament.

The highly contested match between Japan and South Africa in the opening weekend, which Japan opted not to score a last-minute penalty to tie the game but to score a winning try in the added minutes, was widely considered as the "biggest shock" or "biggest upset" in the history of rugby.[2] As a result, much media attention was drawn right from the beginning of this tournament. Hosts England were eliminated at the pool stage, after consecutive defeats by Wales and Australia. This was the second time in the tournament's history that a host nation failed to progress to the knockout stages, after Wales elimination in the group stages of the 1991 Rugby World Cup, and the first time a solo host nation was eliminated in the group stages.

In the knockout stage, this was the first Rugby World Cup where no Northern Hemisphere team got beyond the quarter-finals.[3]

On 31 October, at Twickenham, New Zealand won the title, becoming the first team to retain their title, and the first to win for a third time.[4]

Bids

Submission of interest

The International Rugby Board (IRB) requested that any member unions wishing to host this tournament or the 2019 Rugby World Cup should indicate their interest by 15 August 2008. This would be purely to indicate interest; no details had to be provided at this stage. A record ten unions indicated formal interest in hosting the 2015 and/or the 2019 events: Australia, England, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Russia, Scotland, South Africa and Wales.[5] Argentina had been reported in early 2008 as having given preliminary consideration to bidding,[6] but did not ultimately formally indicate an interest in bidding.

Of the 10 nations that had expressed formal interest, many withdrew their candidacy in early 2009. Jamaica was the first to withdraw its candidacy.[7] Russia withdrew in February 2009 to concentrate on bidding for the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens,[8] Australia and Ireland withdrew in spring 2009 due to financial reasons.[9][10] Scotland withdrew in April 2009 after they were unable to secure co-hosting partners for the tournament.[11] Wales was the last nation to officially pull out after they failed to submit a bid by 8 May 2009,[12] but Wales backed England's bid and some games were played at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.[13]

Final bids

The final nations that bid for the right to host the 2015 Rugby World Cup were England, Japan, South Africa and Italy. Four confirmed bids was a record number for the Rugby World Cup.[7]

On 28 July 2009, the IRB confirmed that England would host the 2015 Rugby World Cup, and Japan would host the 2019 event,[14][15] having voted 16–10 in favour of approving the recommendation from Rugby World Cup Ltd (RWCL) that England and Japan should be named hosts.[nb 2][17] RWCL chairman Bernard Lapasset revealed the result on 28 July 2009 at IRB headquarters.[14]

England

In September 2007, The Guardian reported that the Rugby Football Union had decided to submit a bid. BBC News reported in February 2009 that the intent was for a solo bid from the RFU, but with the possibility of some matches being played in Scotland, Wales or Ireland.[18] It was hoped that the 2015 World Cup would add to Britain's "Decade of Sport" (including the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2014 Commonwealth Games).

It was also claimed that the bid had a very strong chance of success due to the IRB's belief that the 2011 tournament might make a loss, therefore making it particularly important to ensure a profit, which was considered a strong point of England's proposed bid.[19] The chief executive of the Rugby Football Union, Francis Baron, said that the tournament would target sales of 3 million tickets. England's package was projected to generate £300m for the IRB – £220m in commercial returns from broadcasting, sponsorship and merchandising, and the £80m tournament fee.[14]

Italy

Italy stated its desire to host,[20] and an Italian bid to host the Rugby World Cup in 2015 or 2019 was confirmed on 20 July 2008. Italy declared that it wanted to host "For the Enlargement of the Frontiers of Our Sport". It was a slogan relevant to the then-current landscape of World Cup rugby, given that 2007 was the first time that the Rugby World Cup was hosted primarily by a non-English-speaking country.

The Italian bid offered the largest cities and stadiums in the country and promised a fast domestic train system. The Italian Rugby Federation (FIR) also included the importance of the population and the growth of rugby since Italy joined the Six Nations in 2000 as reasons for hosting a World Cup. Rugby had been growing increasingly popular in Italy in recent years, with improved crowds at international matches.

The Stadio Olimpico in Rome had been proposed as the venue to host the final and the first match of the tournament. Milan and Naples were included as the other large venues. The entire list was a selection of large stadiums spread across the country. Stade Vélodrome in Marseille, France was also included as the tenth proposed venue.

Japan

Main article: 2019 Rugby World Cup

The Japan Rugby Football Union officially submitted its tender to the IRB in May 2009.[21] Japan was seen as a favourite to host after finishing as runner-up in the bidding for the 2011 event.[21] Japan was seen as having a lot to offer rugby's growth in Asia. Its population of 127 million, its large economy, and its ability to place rugby before a new Asian audience made it a front-runner for hosting rights. Furthermore, rugby in Japan had developed a following, and with 126,000 registered players, Japan had more players than some of the Six Nations. Japan's Top League was a showcase for Japanese rugby, and there was excitement about Japan's entry into the RWC. Japan's experience in co-hosting the 2002 FIFA World Cup was also seen as a boost, with Japan already possessing the necessary stadiums and infrastructure.

South Africa

The South African Rugby Union (SARU) had confirmed its intent to bid for the 2015 tournament,[22] and in May 2009 South Africa delivered its application to the IRB.[23] South Africa had previously made an unsuccessful bid to host the 2011 RWC. The strengths of a South African bid would be that it is in the same time zone as Europe, the wealthiest television market from a rugby perspective, that South Africa were the current World Cup holders, that they had successfully hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup, won the 2007 Rugby World Cup and that they were in the process of building large new stadiums for the then-upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Venues

After England were appointed tournament hosts on 28 July 2009, the proposed stadia for the tournament were revealed. The final venues were confirmed, along with the tournament's schedule, on 2 May 2013.[24] Twelve of the stadia were located in England, while the Millennium Stadium located in Wales was also to be used. In 2011, the IRB approved the use of the Millennium Stadium, despite being outside of the host country, due to its capacity and strategic location.[25] Of the thirteen venues, two were dedicated rugby union grounds (Kingsholm Stadium and Sandy Park), two were national rugby stadia (Twickenham and the Millennium Stadium), two were multi-purpose stadia (Wembley Stadium and Olympic Stadium), and the remainder were association football grounds.[26]

Proposed venues that did not make the final selection were the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, Coventry's Ricoh Arena, St Mary's Stadium in Southampton, Pride Park Stadium in Derby, Anfield in Liverpool and Bristol's Ashton Gate.[27] In April 2013, Old Trafford was withdrawn from consideration by its owners, Manchester United F.C., citing commitments to hosting rugby league and its Grand Final and concerns about pitch degradation. The RWCL then approached neighbouring Manchester City about leasing their home stadium as a replacement. City agreed to let their stadium be used for the tournament but only for one match due to footballing commitments – down from the original three which were to be played at Old Trafford.[28] Etihad Stadium, as it was known for football sponsorship purposes, would be called 'Manchester City Stadium' by organisers for the duration of the tournament.[29]

London London London Cardiff (Wales)
Wembley Stadium Twickenham Olympic Stadium Millennium Stadium
51°33′21″N 0°16′47″W / 51.55583°N 0.27972°W / 51.55583; -0.27972 (Wembley Stadium) 51°27′22″N 0°20′30″W / 51.45611°N 0.34167°W / 51.45611; -0.34167 (Twickenham Stadium) 51°32′19″N 0°00′59″W / 51.53861°N 0.01639°W / 51.53861; -0.01639 (Olympic Stadium (London)) 51°28′40″N 3°11′00″W / 51.47778°N 3.18333°W / 51.47778; -3.18333 (Millennium Stadium)
Capacity: 90,000 Capacity: 81,605 Capacity: 56,000 Capacity: 74,154
Newcastle Manchester
St James' Park Manchester City Stadium
Capacity: 52,409 Capacity: 55,097[30]
54°58′32″N 1°37′18″W / 54.97556°N 1.62167°W / 54.97556; -1.62167 (St James' Park) 53°28′59″N 2°12′1″W / 53.48306°N 2.20028°W / 53.48306; -2.20028 (City of Manchester Stadium)
Birmingham Leeds
Villa Park Elland Road
Capacity: 42,785 Capacity: 37,914
52°30′33″N 1°53′5″W / 52.50917°N 1.88472°W / 52.50917; -1.88472 (Villa Park) 53°46′40″N 1°34′20″W / 53.77778°N 1.57222°W / 53.77778; -1.57222 (Elland Road)
Leicester Brighton Milton Keynes Gloucester Exeter
Leicester City Stadium Brighton Community Stadium Stadium mk Kingsholm Stadium Sandy Park
52°37′13″N 1°8′32″W / 52.62028°N 1.14222°W / 52.62028; -1.14222 (Leicester City Stadium) 50°51′42″N 0°4′59.80″W / 50.86167°N 0.0832778°W / 50.86167; -0.0832778 (Brighton Community Stadium) 52°00′34″N 00°44′00″W / 52.00944°N 0.73333°W / 52.00944; -0.73333 (Stadium MK) 51°52′18″N 2°14′34″W / 51.87167°N 2.24278°W / 51.87167; -2.24278 (Kingsholm Stadium) 50°42′33.51″N 3°28′3.26″W / 50.7093083°N 3.4675722°W / 50.7093083; -3.4675722 (Sandy Park)
Capacity: 32,312 Capacity: 30,750 Capacity: 30,717 Capacity: 16,500 Capacity: 12,300

Source: The Telegraph[31]

Team bases

The 41 venues that acted as team bases for the competing nations were announced on 26 August 2014.[32] All prospective team bases were subject to a rigorous selection process, which included an expansive and detailed programme of site visits as well as liaison with the competing Rugby World Cup 2015 teams. Each team base would consist of an outdoor and indoor training facility, a swimming pool, gym and hotel and would be used by the competing teams in the lead up to and during the World Cup.

Qualifying

Of the 20 teams competing at the 2015 World Cup, 12 of them qualified by finishing in the top three places in their pools in the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The other eight teams qualified through regional competition. As the host nation, England qualified automatically. The qualification process for the remaining teams incorporated existing regional competitions such as the European Nations Cup.[33]

Qualified teams

Twenty teams played in the final tournament. They are listed below, along with their pre-tournament positions in the World Rugby Rankings.[34] The list of teams was the same as in the 2003 tournament.

Asia Rugby (1)
Rugby Africa (2)
Sudamérica Rugby (2)
NACRA (2)
Rugby Europe (8)
Oceania Rugby (5)
  Country qualified for World Cup
  Country failed to qualify
  Country not an IRB member

Draw

Seedings for the pools of the 2015 World Cup were based on the teams' respective IRB Rankings. The draw, hosted by Will Greenwood, was conducted on 3 December 2012 in London, and used the World Rankings as of that day, just after the 2012 end-of-year rugby union internationals, which finished on 1 December 2012.[35] The 12 automatic qualifiers from 2011 were allocated to their respective bands based on their rankings:

The remaining 8 qualifying places were allocated to Bands 4 and 5, based on previous World Cup playing strength;

This meant the 20 teams, qualified and qualifiers, were seeded thus:

Pot 1

Pot 2

Pot 3

Pot 4

Pot 5

The draw saw a representative randomly draw a ball from a pot, the first drawn ball goes to Pool A, the second Pool B, the third Pool C and the fourth Pool D. The draw began with Pot 5, drawn by All Blacks captain Richie McCaw, followed by Pot 4, drawn by RWC 2015 Ambassador Maggie Alphonsi, then Pot 3, drawn by Mayor of London Boris Johnson, Pot 2, drawn by the then Chief Executive for RWC 2015 Debbie Jevans, and finally Pot 1, drawn by IRB chairman Bernard Lapasset.

Draw criticism

The timing of the draw drew criticism due to its distance from the tournament.[36] Indeed, by the time of the pool match between England and Wales on 26 September, pool A contained the 2nd, 3rd and 4th (Australia, England and Wales) ranked teams in the world.[37] Following England's elimination at the pool stage after defeats by Australia and Wales—making them the first sole host nation and the first former champion not to reach the knockout stage[38]—Wales coach Warren Gatland noted that "Everyone is making a thing about the first home country to hold a World Cup to miss out on the quarter-finals, but the stupid thing, as we all know, is why was the World Cup draw done three years ago? That's just ridiculous as far as I am concerned. If they had followed the football model, then we wouldn't be in this position. There are other people outside this who need to have a look at themselves and why those decisions were made, and you have got to feel sorry for the people involved and who this has affected".[39] The chief executive of World Rugby Brett Gosper subsequently acknowledged criticisms, saying "We’ll look at that next time to see if it’s possible to make the draw closer to the tournament".[40]

Squads

Each country was allowed a squad of 31 players for the tournament. These squads were to be submitted to World Rugby by a deadline of 31 August 2015. Once the squad was submitted, a player could be replaced if injured, but would not be allowed to return to the squad. There was also a stand-down period of 48 hours before the new player was allowed to take the field. Hence, a replacement player called into a squad on the eve of a game would not be permitted to play in that game.[41]

Match officials

On 7 April 2015, World Rugby named twelve referees, seven assistant referees and four television match officials to handle the pool stage games.[42] The referees appointed to the World Cup with their union in brackets were as follows:

Referees
Assistant referees
Television match officials

Pool stage

The first round, or pool stage, saw the 20 teams divided into four pools of five teams, using the same format that was used in 2003, 2007, and 2011. Each pool was a single round-robin of ten games, in which each team played one match against each of the other teams in the same pool. Teams were awarded four points for a win, two points for a draw and none for a defeat. A team scoring four tries in one match scored a bonus point, as did a team that lost by fewer than eight points.[43]

Pool A Pool B Pool C Pool D

 Australia
 England
 Wales
 Fiji
 Uruguay

 South Africa
 Samoa
 Scotland
 Japan
 United States

 New Zealand
 Argentina
 Tonga
 Georgia
 Namibia

 France
 Ireland
 Italy
 Canada
 Romania

The teams finishing in the top two of each pool would advance to the quarter-finals. The top three teams of each pool received automatic qualification to the 2019 Rugby World Cup (Japan had already automatically qualified as hosts).[44]

Tie-breaking criteria

If two or more teams were tied on match points, the following tiebreakers would apply:[45]

  1. The winner of the match between the two teams;
  2. Difference between points scored for and points scored against in all pool matches;
  3. Difference between tries scored for and tries scored against in all pool matches;
  4. Points scored in all pool matches;
  5. Most tries scored in all pool matches;
  6. Official World Rugby Rankings as of 12 October 2015.

If three teams were tied on points, the above criteria would be used to decide first place in the Pool, and then the criteria would be used again (starting from criteria 1) to decide second place in the Pool.

Key to colours in pool tables
Advanced to the quarter-finals and qualified for the 2019 Rugby World Cup
Eliminated but qualified for 2019 Rugby World Cup

Pld = Number of games played; W = Number of games won; D = Number of games drawn; L = Number of games lost; TF = Number of tries scored (Tries For); PF = Number of points scored in the game (Points For); PA = Number of points scored against the team (Points Against); +/– = The difference, PF – PA; BP = Bonus (pool) points ; Pts = Total number of (pool) points.

Pool A

Australia beat England 33–13 in their match at Twickenham Stadium in London.
Team
 Pld W D L TF PF PA +/− BP Pts
 Australia 4 4 0 0 17 141 35 +106 1 17
 Wales 4 3 0 1 11 111 62 +49 1 13
 England 4 2 0 2 16 133 75 +58 3 11
 Fiji 4 1 0 3 10 84 101 –17 1 5
 Uruguay 4 0 0 4 2 30 226 –196 0 0
18 September 2015England 35–11 FijiTwickenham Stadium, London
20 September 2015Wales 54–9 UruguayMillennium Stadium, Cardiff
23 September 2015Australia 28–13 FijiMillennium Stadium, Cardiff
26 September 2015England 25–28 WalesTwickenham Stadium, London
27 September 2015Australia 65–3 UruguayVilla Park, Birmingham
1 October 2015Wales 23–13 FijiMillennium Stadium, Cardiff
3 October 2015England 13–33 AustraliaTwickenham Stadium, London
6 October 2015Fiji 47–15 UruguayStadium mk, Milton Keynes
10 October 2015Australia 15–6 WalesTwickenham Stadium, London
10 October 2015England 60–3 UruguayManchester City Stadium, Manchester

Pool B

South Africa beat the United States 64–0 in their match at the Olympic Stadium in London.
Team
 Pld W D L TF PF PA +/− BP Pts
 South Africa 4 3 0 1 23 176 56 +120 4 16
 Scotland 4 3 0 1 14 136 93 +43 2 14
 Japan 4 3 0 1 9 98 100 –2 0 12
 Samoa 4 1 0 3 7 69 124 –55 2 6
 United States 4 0 0 4 5 50 156 –106 0 0
    19 September 2015South Africa 32–34 JapanBrighton Community Stadium, Brighton
    20 September 2015Samoa 25–16 United StatesBrighton Community Stadium, Brighton
    23 September 2015Scotland 45–10 JapanKingsholm, Gloucester
    26 September 2015South Africa 46–6 SamoaVilla Park, Birmingham
    27 September 2015Scotland 39–16 United StatesElland Road, Leeds
    3 October 2015Samoa 5–26 JapanStadium mk, Milton Keynes
    3 October 2015South Africa 34–16 ScotlandSt. James' Park, Newcastle
    7 October 2015South Africa 64–0 United StatesOlympic Stadium, London
    10 October 2015Samoa 33–36 ScotlandSt. James' Park, Newcastle
    11 October 2015United States 18–28 JapanKingsholm, Gloucester

    Pool C

    New Zealand beat Argentina 26–16 in their match at Wembley Stadium in London.
    Team
    		 Pld W D L TF PF PA +/− BP Pts
     New Zealand 4 4 0 0 25 174 49 +125 3 19
     Argentina 4 3 0 1 22 179 70 +109 3 15
     Georgia 4 2 0 2 5 53 123 –70 0 8
     Tonga 4 1 0 3 8 70 130 –60 2 6
     Namibia 4 0 0 4 8 70 174 –104 1 1
    19 September 2015Tonga 10–17 GeorgiaKingsholm, Gloucester
    20 September 2015New Zealand 26–16 ArgentinaWembley Stadium, London
    24 September 2015New Zealand 58–14 NamibiaOlympic Stadium, London
    25 September 2015Argentina 54–9 GeorgiaKingsholm, Gloucester
    29 September 2015Tonga 35–21 NamibiaSandy Park, Exeter
    2 October 2015New Zealand 43–10 GeorgiaMillennium Stadium, Cardiff
    4 October 2015Argentina 45–16 TongaLeicester City Stadium, Leicester
    7 October 2015Namibia 16–17 GeorgiaSandy Park, Exeter
    9 October 2015New Zealand 47–9 TongaSt. James' Park, Newcastle
    11 October 2015Argentina 64–19 NamibiaLeicester City Stadium, Leicester

    Pool D

    Ireland beat Canada 50–7 in their match at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
    Team
    		 Pld W D L TF PF PA +/− BP Pts
     Ireland 4 4 0 0 16 134 35 +99 2 18
     France 4 3 0 1 12 120 63 +57 2 14
     Italy 4 2 0 2 7 74 88 –14 2 10
     Romania 4 1 0 3 7 60 129 –69 0 4
     Canada 4 0 0 4 7 58 131 –73 2 2
    19 September 2015Ireland 50–7 CanadaMillennium Stadium, Cardiff
    19 September 2015France 32–10 ItalyTwickenham Stadium, London
    23 September 2015France 38–11 RomaniaOlympic Stadium, London
    26 September 2015Italy 23–18 CanadaElland Road, Leeds
    27 September 2015Ireland 44–10 RomaniaWembley Stadium, London
    1 October 2015France 41–18 CanadaStadium mk, Milton Keynes
    4 October 2015Ireland 16–9 ItalyOlympic Stadium, London
    6 October 2015Canada 15–17 RomaniaLeicester City Stadium, Leicester
    11 October 2015Italy 32–22 RomaniaSandy Park, Exeter
    11 October 2015France 9–24 IrelandMillennium Stadium, Cardiff

    Knockout stage

    Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final
    17 October – Twickenham Stadium        
      South Africa  23
    24 October – Twickenham Stadium
      Wales  19  
      South Africa  18
    17 October – Millennium Stadium
          New Zealand  20  
      New Zealand  62
    31 October – Twickenham Stadium
      France  13  
      New Zealand  34
    18 October – Millennium Stadium    
        Australia  17
      Ireland  20
    25 October – Twickenham Stadium
      Argentina  43  
      Argentina  15 Third place
    18 October – Twickenham Stadium
          Australia  29   30 October – Olympic Stadium
      Australia  35
      South Africa  24
      Scotland  34  
      Argentina  13
     

    Quarter-finals

    17 October 2015
    16:00 BST (UTC+01)
    South Africa  23–19  Wales
    Try: Du Preez 75' m
    Con: Pollard (0/1)
    Pen: Pollard (5/7) 9', 13', 17', 21', 62'
    Drop: Pollard 52'
    		 Report Try: G. Davies 18' c
    Con: Biggar (1/1) 19'
    Pen: Biggar (3/4) 15', 47', 64'
    Drop: Biggar 40'
    Twickenham Stadium, London
    Attendance: 79,572
    Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
    17 October 2015
    20:00 BST (UTC+01)
    New Zealand  62–13  France
    Try: Retallick 11' c
    Milner-Skudder 23' c
    Savea (3) 29' c, 38' m, 59' c
    Kaino 50' m
    Read 64' c
    Kerr-Barlow (2) 68' c, 71' c
    Con: Carter (7/9) 12', 25', 31', 60', 65', 68', 72'
    Pen: Carter (1/1) 7'
    		 Report Try: Picamoles 36' c
    Con: Parra (1/1) 37'
    Pen: Spedding (1/1) 9'
    Parra (1/2) 15'
    Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
    Attendance: 71,619
    Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
    18 October 2015
    13:00 BST (UTC+01)
    Ireland  20–43  Argentina
    Try: Fitzgerald 26' c
    Murphy 44' c
    Con: Madigan (2/2) 27', 45'
    Pen: Madigan (2/4) 20', 53'
    		 Report Try: Moroni 3' c
    Imhoff (2) 10' c, 73' c
    Tuculet 69' c
    Con: Sánchez (4/4) 5', 10', 70', 74'
    Pen: Sánchez (5/6) 13', 22', 51', 64', 77'
    Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
    Attendance: 72,316
    Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France)
    18 October 2015
    16:00 BST (UTC+01)
    Australia  35–34  Scotland
    Try: Ashley-Cooper 9' m
    Mitchell (2) 30' m, 43' c
    Hooper 40' m
    Kuridrani 64' c
    Con: Foley (2/5) 44', 65'
    Pen: Foley (2/2) 54', 80'
    		 Report Try: Horne 18' c
    Seymour 59' m
    Bennett 74' c
    Con: Laidlaw (2/3) 19', 75'
    Pen: Laidlaw (5/5) 14', 21', 34', 47', 69'

    Semi-finals

    24 October 2015
    16:00 BST (UTC+01)
    South Africa  18–20  New Zealand
    Pen: Pollard (5/5) 3', 11', 21', 39', 58'
    Lambie (1/1) 69'
    		 Report Try: Kaino 6' c
    Barrett 52' c
    Con: Carter (2/2) 9', 53'
    Pen: Carter (1/2) 60'
    Drop: Carter 46'
    Twickenham Stadium, London
    Attendance: 80,090
    Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France)
    25 October 2015
    16:00 GMT (UTC+00)
    Argentina  15–29  Australia
    Pen: Sánchez (5/5) 7', 24', 36', 45', 55'
    		 Report Try: Simmons 2' c
    Ashley-Cooper (3) 10' c, 32' m, 72' c
    Con: Foley (3/4) 3', 11', 73'
    Pen: Foley (1/2) 48'
    Twickenham Stadium, London
    Attendance: 80,025
    Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)

    Bronze final

    30 October 2015
    20:00 GMT (UTC+00)
    South Africa  24–13  Argentina
    Try: Pietersen 6' c
    Etzebeth 43' m
    Con: Pollard (1/2) 7'
    Pen: Pollard (4/5) 14', 33', 40', 48'
    		 Report Try: Orlandi 80' c
    Con: Sánchez (1/1) 80'
    Pen: Sánchez (1/1) 52'
    Drop: Sánchez 42'
    Olympic Stadium, London
    Attendance: 55,925
    Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)

    Final

    31 October 2015
    16:00 GMT (UTC+00)
    New Zealand  34–17  Australia
    Try: Milner-Skudder 39' c
    Nonu 42' m
    Barrett 79' c
    Con: Carter (2/3) 40', 80'
    Pen: Carter (4/4) 8', 27', 36', 75'
    Drop: Carter 70'
    		 Report Try: Pocock 53' c
    Kuridrani 64' c
    Con: Foley (2/2) 54', 65'
    Pen: Foley (1/1) 14'
    Twickenham Stadium, London
    Attendance: 80,125
    Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)

    Awards

    During the 2015 World Rugby Awards, Japan's final try and victory against South Africa was named the World Cup best match moment, while Rugby World Cup sponsors Société Générale unveiled their dream team, made up of the best performing players of the Tournament.[46]

    2015 Rugby World Cup dream team[47]

    Statistics

     Top points scorers
    Player Team Points
    Nicolás Sánchez  Argentina 97
    Handré Pollard  South Africa 93
    Bernard Foley  Australia 82
    Dan Carter  New Zealand 82
    Greig Laidlaw  Scotland 79
    Ayumu Goromaru  Japan 58

    The top point scorer of the entire tournament was Argentine fly-half Nicolás Sánchez with 97, from one try, 13 conversions, 20 penalties and two drop goals.[48] New Zealand wing Julian Savea scored the most tries, eight, equalling the record for one tournament set by his compatriot Jonah Lomu and South African Bryan Habana.[49]

    Media coverage

    ITV Sport was the UK and worldwide host broadcaster for the 2015 event, having signed a deal in 2011 to broadcast the 2011 and 2015 RWC tournaments. ITV won the rights after outbidding rivals including the BBC and Sky Sports.[50] It showed every match from the tournament live in the UK on ITV or ITV4.[51]

    Country or region Broadcaster Broadcasting
    Africa1 SuperSport[52][53] All 48 matches broadcast live
    Argentina ESPN Extra All 48 matches broadcast live.
    TV Pública All Argentina matches, plus opening, semi-final and final matches.
    Australia Fox Sports[52][53] All 48 matches broadcast live[54]
    Nine Network[52][53] All Australian matches, some other pool games and all knockout games free-to-air live
    Azerbaijan
    Turkey    		 Tivibu Spor 45 matches live (excluding Tonga v Georgia, Wales v Fiji and France v Canada at the pool stage)
    Brazil ESPN Brasil[52][55] All 48 matches broadcast live
    Canada TSN[52][56] All 48 matches live on either TSN, TSN2 or TSN.ca
    RDS[52][56] Rights to a select number of matches in French
    Caribbean
    Central America2
    Mexico
    South America3    		 ESPN[52][55] At least 16 matches (all Argentina and Uruguay matches, plus all knockout stages matches with the bronze final and the final).
    Czech Republic
    Slovakia    		 Pragosport/Česká televize[52] All 48 matches broadcast live
    Fiji Fiji TV[52][57] All 48 matches broadcast live
    FBC TV[57] All 48 matches broadcast live free to air
    France and French Overseas Territories TF1[52][58] 21 matches, including all French matches, the best pool stage matches, all quarter-finals, both semi-finals, the bronze final and the final
    Canal+[52][58] 27 matches that will not be broadcast by TF1
    Georgia 1TV[52] All 48 matches broadcast live[54]
    Hungary Digi Sport[52] More than 40 matches broadcast live
    India Sony SIX All 48 matches broadcast live
    Ireland TV3[52][59] & 3e. All 48 matches broadcast live. TV3 began broadcasting in HD just before the competition.
    Israel Sport1 TBA
    Italy Sky Sport[52][60] All 48 matches broadcast live, and delay at 11 pm of Italy matches, a quarter-final, a semi-final and the final on TV8.
    Japan J Sports[52] All 48 matches broadcast live
    Nippon TV[52] Japanese commentary of all Japanese pool-stage matches, 2 quarter-finals, both semi-finals, the bronze final and the final.
    NHK[52] Free to air coverage of 16 matches, including all Japanese matches, the opening match, 2 quarter-finals, both semi-finals, the bronze final and the final.
    Latvia Best 4 Sport TV[52] All 48 matches live or on delay and repeat
    Netherlands RTL 7[61] Total of 24 matches live
    New Zealand Sky Sport[53] All 48 matches broadcast live
    Poland Polsat Sport[62] All 48 matches broadcast live or on delay
    Portugal Sport TV[52] All 48 matches broadcast live
    Romania Digi Sport[63] All 48 matches broadcast live
    Russia Peretz[64] More than 30 matches broadcast delay on TV and live on internet
    Samoa Sky Pacific (Fiji TV)[52] All 48 matches broadcast live
    South Asia Sony SIX[65][66] All 48 matches broadcast live with sister channel Sony Kix.[66]
    Sri Lanka Channel Eye[67] All 48 matches live or on delay and repeat (Free to air)
    South Africa SABC[68]
    SuperSport[69]    		 29 live matches, including all South African matches, and 7 delayed matches
    All 48 matches broadcast live with repeats and highlights
    Spain Canal+ Deportes (Movistar+)[70][71] All 48 matches broadcast live
    Tonga Sky Pacific (Fiji TV)[52] All 48 matches broadcast live
    United Kingdom ITV Network[53] All 48 matches live on either ITV, STV (Scotland), UTV (Northern Ireland) or ITV4
    BBC Radio[72] Live radio commentary for all 48 games.
    Radio Cymru broadcast live commentary of all Wales games in Welsh[73]
    S4C[74] All Wales matches live in Welsh, the opening match, one quarter-final and one semi-final, the bronze final and the final
    United States Universal Sports
    NBC[75] & Univision    		 All 48 matches live online in the US for a cost of $199.99.
    Live coverage of nine matches between the two broadcasters – four USA pool matches, opening match, both semi-finals, bronze final and the final.
    Uruguay Teledoce Only Uruguay matches

    1 Except British Indian Ocean Territory - Chagos Archipelago, Cape Verde, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, North Africa, Réunion, Somalia, South Sudan and Tristan da Cunha.
    2 Except Belize.
    3 Except Brazil and South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands.

    Television network Country or Region Broadcasting
    Canal+ Africa Francophone Central and West Africa All 48 matches live on Canal+ Sport 3
    Eurosport[76] Austria, Belgium, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Switzerland 20 matches live, including opening match and final
    Fox Sports Asia[77] Cambodia, China (Via STAR Sports), Hong Kong, Indonesia, South Korea (Via STAR Sports Korea), Macau, Mongolia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia All 48 matches broadcast live
    Fiji TV[52] Cook Islands, East Timor, Solomon Islands, Niue, Nauru, Vanuatu, Kiribati, Northern Marianas, Tokelau, Tahiti, Tuvalu, New Caledonia, American Samoa, Marshall Islands, Palau and Federated States of Micronesia. Papua New Guinea, Wallis and Futuna, Nouvelle Calédonie, Îles Éparses, Polynésie Française. All 48 matches broadcast live

    [54]

    OSN[52] Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Tunisia, UAE All 48 matches broadcast live or on delay
    TF1[52] Monaco 21 matches, including all French matches, the best pool stage matches, all quarter-finals, both semi-finals, the bronze final and the final
    Viaplay, Viasat[78] Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden All 48 matches broadcast live on OTT Service Viaplay, with selected games on Viasat Sport

    [79][54]

    Video game

    The officially-licensed Rugby World Cup 2015 video game was released on 4 September 2015 on PC, PS3, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.[80] IGN rated the game 1.5/10, calling it "unbearable".[81]

    Tickets

    Ticket prices were announced in November 2013 with general sale applications launching in September 2014.[82] Adult ticket prices started at £15 for pool matches and children's tickets were available from £7 at 41 of the 48 matches. Tickets for the World Cup final ranged from £150 to £715.[83]

    See also

    Notes

    1. ↑ Although England, with its governing body the Rugby Football Union, is officially the sole "host nation" of the tournament, some matches are played in Cardiff, Wales.
    2. ↑ The IRB became World Rugby on 19 November 2014.[16] However, the 2015 World Cup retained its IRB branding, given the proximity of the rebrand to the event, and as merchandise was already available with IRB branding at the time of the name change. The 2019 Rugby World Cup will be the first to use full World Rugby branding.

    References

    1. ↑ "September 18 start date for RWC 2015". International Rugby Board. 15 May 2012. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
    2. ↑ "Rugby World Cup 2015: South Africa 32–34 Japan". 19 September 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
    3. ↑ "Rugby World Cup 2015: Rugby Championship downs Six Nations". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
    4. ↑ "New Zealand retain Rugby World Cup with ruthless display against Australia". Guardian. 31 October 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
    5. ↑ BBC Sport, IRB confirm 2015 & 2019 host bids, 25 August 2008, http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/7564403.stm
    6. ↑ "Argentina se postuló para organizar el Mundial 2015". rugbytime.com (RugbyTime.com). 26 February 2008. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
    7. 1 2 IRB, England and Japan handed Rugby World Cups, 28 July 2009, http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/rugbyworldcup2019/news/newsid=2053414.html
    8. ↑ "Russia keen to bid for RWC Sevens 2013". IRB.com (International Rugby Board). Retrieved 15 February 2009.
    9. ↑ "Ireland opt out of 2015 bidding". BBC Sport. 1 May 2009. Archived from the original on 4 May 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
    10. ↑ "Australia ends 2015 World Cup bid". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 20 April 2009. Archived from the original on 23 April 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
    11. ↑ "Scotland pull out of RWC 2015 bid". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 29 April 2009. Archived from the original on 30 April 2009. Retrieved 29 April 2009.
    12. ↑ "IRB confirms record RWC bid response". IRB.com (International Rugby Board). 8 May 2009. Archived from the original on 11 May 2009. Retrieved 9 May 2009.
    13. ↑ "Millennium Stadium chosen as 2015 Rugby World Cup venue". BBC Sport. 24 May 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
    14. 1 2 3 "England will host 2015 World Cup". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 28 July 2009. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
    15. ↑ "England 2015 will be best Rugby World Cup ever, says RFU chief Francis Baron". Daily Telegraph (London). 28 July 2009. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
    16. ↑ "IRB to change name to World Rugby" (Press release). International Rugby Board. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
    17. ↑ "England set to get 2015 World Cup". BBC Sport. 30 June 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
    18. ↑ "England to make solo 2015 Cup bid". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 19 February 2009. Archived from the original on 22 February 2009. Retrieved 20 February 2009.
    19. ↑ Rees, Paul (1 September 2007). "England can bank on 2015 cup as board pushes for profit". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 23 April 2010.
    20. ↑ Bates, Rupert (2 September 2007). "Diego Dominguez ready for Rugby World Cup". The Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved 23 April 2010.
    21. 1 2 Japan joins England and South Africa in bidding for Rugby World Cup, guardian.co.uk, 8 May 2009
    22. ↑ "30,000 Tickets More on Sale for Rugby WC 2015". mattsports.co.uk.
    23. ↑ "South Africa bids for World Cup". BBC Sport. 7 May 2009. Archived from the original on 8 May 2009. Retrieved 7 May 2009.
    24. ↑ "RWC 2015 venues and schedule announced". rugbyworldcup.com (International Rugby Board). 2 May 2013. Archived from the original on 7 May 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
    25. ↑ "Millennium Stadium confirmed as RWC'15 venue". ESPN Scrum. 24 May 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
    26. ↑ "Rugby World Cup: guide to England 2015 stadiums". The Telegraph (London). 28 June 2009. Archived from the original on 14 November 2010. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
    27. ↑ "Rugby World Cup 2015 Long list of potential venues". The Daily Telegraph (London). 9 October 2009.
    28. ↑ Rumsby, Ben (3 April 2013). "2015 Rugby World Cup can only persuade Manchester City to host one game". The Telegraph (London). Retrieved 4 April 2013.
    29. ↑ "RWC 2015 venues and schedule announced". 2 May 2013. Archived from the original on 11 November 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
    30. ↑ "Manchester City stadium to become Premier League's third largest". ESPN. 13 August 2015. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
    31. ↑ "Rugby World Cup 2015 venues". The Telegraph (London). 11 September 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
    32. ↑ RWC 2015 official team bases announced
    33. ↑ "Major changes made to RWC qualifying". worldcupweb.com. 10 May 2007. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
    34. ↑ "World Rugby". worldrugby.org.
    35. ↑ "IRB World Rankings at 3 December 2012". World Rugby. 3 December 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
    36. ↑ "http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/rugby-world-cup-scout-draw-changes-hawk-eye-concussion/story-e6frf4pu-1227489881779". Fox Sports. Fox Sports Australia. Retrieved 10 October 2015. External link in |title= (help)
    37. ↑ "http://www.worldrugby.org/rankings". World Rugby. External link in |title= (help);
    38. ↑ "Bernard Foley breaks English hearts with two first-half tries as hosts are sent crashing out of the World Cup". Daily Mail. 3 October 2015. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
    39. ↑ "Gatland condemns 'ridiculous' World Cup draw". itv. itv. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
    40. ↑ Kitson, Robert. "Rugby World Cup: draw for 2019 set to take place closer to tournament". guardian.co,uk. The Guardian. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
    41. ↑ Woolford, Anthony (1 September 2015). "The strict 48 hour rule Warren Gatland must abide by if Wales face a World Cup hooking crisis". Wales Online (Media Wales). Archived from the original on 11 October 2015.
    42. ↑ "Match officials announced for Rugby World Cup 2015". worldrugby.com. World Rugby. 7 April 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
    43. ↑ "Tournament rules". rugbyworldcup.com.
    44. ↑ "Rugby World Cup 2015: fixtures, results and standings". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
    45. ↑ "Rugby World Cup 2015 Tournament Rules – Article 1.1.3". World Rugby. September 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
    46. ↑ Société Générale Rugby World Cup 2015 dream team
    47. ↑ "Guinness Pro12 Dream Team of the 2014/15 Season". Societe Generale dream team. 1 November 2015. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
    48. ↑ "Sánchez is World Cup Top Points Scorer". Americas Rugby. 1 November 2015. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
    49. ↑ Cueto, Mark (23 October 2015). "Bryan Habana and Julian Savea can light up epic Rugby World Cup semifinal". ESPN. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
    50. ↑ Mairs, Gavin (28 July 2010). "ITV secures television rights to 2011 and 2015 Rugby Union World Cups". Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved 4 December 2012.
    51. ↑ "Rugby World Cup 2015 - Statement". Ofcom. 3 September 2015. Archived from the original on 1 November 2015.
    52. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 "Where to watch?". Rugby world Cup.
    53. 1 2 3 4 5 "List of TV Channels Broadcasting 2015 Rugby World Cup Live". TOTAL SPORTEK.
    54. 1 2 3 4 "Rugby World Cup 2015 Live TV". 8 April 2015.
    55. 1 2 "ESPN Latin America and ESPN Brazil join RWC broadcast family". Rugby World Cup. 8 April 2015.
    56. 1 2 "WORLD CUP OF RUGBY COMING TO TSN IN 2011 AND 2015". tsn.ca.
    57. 1 2 "7s Series, RWC on Fiji TV, FBC". fijilive.com.
    58. 1 2 "TF1 and Canal+ to share World Cup Rugby". digitaltveurope.net.
    59. ↑ "TV3 confirms ALL 48 Rugby World Cup games". tv3.ie.
    60. ↑ "SKY Italia joins global RWC 2015 rights". Rugby World Cup.
    61. ↑ "Zes weken lang scrums, rucks en mauls tijdens WK Rugby bij RTL 7" (Press release) (in Dutch). RTL7. 29 June 2015.
    62. ↑ "Iwańczyk: Ziemia w kształcie jaja, czyli za 300 dni Puchar Świata" (in Polish). Polsat Sport. 2 August 2015.
    63. ↑ "Digi Sport prepares to bring Rugby World Cup coverage to Romania". http://svgeurope.org/. 6 August 2015. External link in |publisher= (help)
    64. ↑ ""КУБОК МИРА ПО РЕГБИ 2015" НА "ПЕРЦЕ"" (in Russian). Peretz TV. 27 August 2015.
    65. ↑ "RWC 2015 set to reach record audiences in India". rugbyworldcup.com.
    66. 1 2 "Sony Six acquires Rugby World Cup 2015 rights for India". televisionpost.com.
    67. ↑ "Rugby World Cup 2015 – Telecast Schedule". 12 September 2015.
    68. ↑ "SABC outlines RWC offering". Sport24. 14 August 2015.
    69. ↑ http://www.supersport.com/aa.aspx?t=sport&v=Rugby&view=full
    70. ↑ "Portada – Rugby – Canal+" (in Spanish). Canal+. 20 June 2015.
    71. ↑ "Rugby World Cup 2015 Broadcasting Details". 14 September 2015.
    72. ↑ "BBC awarded UK radio rights for Rugby World Cup 2015". Rugby World Cup.
    73. ↑ "BBC Wales secures live radio rights". BBC Wales.
    74. ↑ "S4C to show the 2015 Rugby World Cup". Wales Online.
    75. ↑ "NBC Unveils RWC 2015 Plans – Rugby Today". rugbytoday.com.
    76. ↑ "Eurosport überträgt die Rugby-WM 2015 in Deutschland" (in German). Total Rugby. 13 May 2015.
    77. ↑ "RUGBY WORLD CUP 2015 – TV SCHEDULE". Fox Sports Asia. Fox Sports Asia. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
    78. ↑ "Viaplay sänder allt från Rugby-VM". Viasatsport.se. 25 June 2015.
    79. ↑ rugbyworldcuptv.com>
    80. ↑ "RUGBY WORLD CUP 2015". Bigben EN.
    81. ↑ Nathan Lawrence (4 September 2015). "Ruby World Cup 2015 Review". IGN. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
    82. ↑ "2.3m tickets for Rugby World Cup 2015". rugbyworldcup.com (International Rugby Board). 27 November 2013. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
    83. ↑ "Rugby World Cup 2015: Cheapest Twickenham final ticket is £150". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 27 November 2013. Retrieved 27 November 2013.

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