2011 Rugby World Cup
New Zealand's triumphant home victory in the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The tournament was won by New Zealand, who defeated France 8–7 in the final. The result marked the third time that the tournament was won by the country that hosted the event (following New Zealand in 1987 and South Africa in 1995).
Quick Facts
- Key scorer (final)
- None (Dan Carter did not play due to injury)
Lore & Background
The International Rugby Board (IRB) selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005. The opening match saw the hosts, New Zealand, take on Tonga. The final was played at Eden Park in Auckland on 23 October 2011. The defending champions, South Africa, were eliminated by Australia 11–9 in the quarter-finals.
Reader's Guide
The games ran over six weeks, commencing on 9 September 2011. The tournament featured 20 teams. Twelve teams qualified as a result of finishing in the top three in each pool in the 2007 tournament. The remaining eight berths were determined by regional qualifying tournaments. Of the 20 countries that competed in the previous World Cup in 2007, there was only one change – Russia replaced Portugal.
Did You Know?
- The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the largest sporting event ever held in New Zealand.
- Overseas visitors to New Zealand for the event totalled 133,000, more than the 95,000 that the organisers expected.
- The final was played on a date that fell on a long weekend of New Zealand's Labour Day holiday.
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