Rugby World Cup Facts

RUGBY WORLD CUP HISTORY (SHORT)

• The first Rugby World Cup was held in New Zealand and Australia in 1987. The five tournaments to date, winners and finalists are:
  • 1987 (NZ & Australia) New Zealand beat France
  • 1991 (UK, Ireland & France) Australia beat England
  • 1995 (South Africa) South Africa beat New Zealand
  • 1999 (UK, Ireland & France) Australia beat France
  • 2003 (Australia) England beat Australia
  • 2007 (France & UK) South Africa beat England

• In 1987, 16 teams were invited to participate in the inaugural tournament. In 1991, the tournament was expanded to 20 teams. A total of 94 countries took part in RWC 2007: the eight automatic qualifiers from RWC 2003 (quarter-finalists England, Australia, New Zealand, France, South Africa, Wales, Scotland and Ireland), and 86 countries who participated in qualifying to determine the final 12 places for France.

• RWC 2011 in New Zealand will comprise 20 teams allocated into four pools: 12 teams that automatically qualified from RWC 2007 in France; and eight teams that will come through the RWC 2011 qualifier programme which began in April 2008. The 12 automatic qualifiers are the Rugby World Cup Champions South Africa, runners-up England, losing semi-finalists France and Argentina, losing quarter-finalists Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Scotland, and Italy, Tonga, Wales and Ireland who finished in third place in their respective pools.

• The Pool Allocation Draw for RWC 2011 will be made in London at the giant New Zealand Rugby Ball venue on December 1, 2008.

View more Rugby World Cup history and results information.

Participating Countries 1987: 16 1991: 31 1995: 52 1999: 69 2003: 82 2007: 94	Attendances 1987: 600,000 1991: 1,000,000 1995: 1,100,000 1999: 1,700,000 2003: 1,900,000 2007: 2,240,000
Total Hours Broadcast 1987: 103 1991: 1,100 1995: 1,180 1999: 2,425 2003: 5,414 2007: 8,500	Total Cumulative Average Audience 1987: 230 million 1991: 1,400 million 1995: 2,380 million 1999: 3,100 million 2003: 3,441 million 2007: 4,200 million
Broadcast Territories 1987: 17 1991: 103 1995: 124 1999: 209 2003: 193 [No Eurosport] 2007: 202	Net Surplus £ 1987: 1.0 million 1991: 4.1 million 1995: 17.6 million 1999: 47.0 million 2003: 64.3 million 2007: 122.4 million

Rugby World Cup 2011 Bid

• In May 2005, the NZRU and New Zealand Government announced that New Zealand would lodge a bid to host Rugby World Cup 2011.

• New Zealand's Bid was built around the theme that the Tournament would be hosted in New Zealand's "Stadium of Four Million" and that it would be an "ALL RUGBY" experience for all involved.
  New Zealand's Bid also promised:
• A tournament for players
• An environment where players can perform at their very best
• Rugby facilities that are excellent and close at hand
• A Tournament based on traditional rugby values


• A tournament for visiting fans
• A country that will be welcoming and safe
• A tournament for fans at home
• Superb broadcasting coverage
• A commercially successful tournament
• Unique partnership between rugby and the Government
• Tournament fee guaranteed
• Conservative budget - delivering most commercially successful RWC ever
• Tournament clean stadia requirements met
• A showcase event
• A Tournament that runs smoothly and seamlessly
• A Tournament that will be media-friendly
• Stable country and national union
• A tournament for Rugby everywhere
• The safe option
• Worthy guardians of Rugby's jewel in the crown
• Global rugby legacy
• New Zealand was granted the rights to host Rugby World Cup 2011 on 17 November 2005 (18 November NZ time) in Dublin.
• The selection vote and subsequent announcement by International Rugby Board (IRB) Chairman Dr Syd Millar came at the end of a day of final presentations to the IRB by New Zealand, as well as presentations by Japan and South Africa.
• The five members of the presentation team were New Zealand Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Helen Clark, New Zealand Rugby Union Chairman Jock Hobbs, New Zealand Rugby Union Chief Executive Chris Moller, then All Blacks Captain Tana Umaga and former All Blacks legend Colin Meads.
• In December 2005, the NZRU and Government announced the formation of an Establishment Board, to undertake the initial planning for New Zealand to host Rugby World Cup 2011.
• The Board included NZRU Chairman Jock Hobbs and Chief Executive Chris Moller, and two representatives of the Crown, SPARC Chairman John Wells and Alan Isaac, Chairman of KPMG. John Wells was also a member of the RWC 2011 Bid Advisory Committee and Alan Isaac is a Director of New Zealand Cricket. Jock Hobbs was appointed Chairman of the Establishment Board.
• The Establishment Board oversaw the initial planning and preparations for RWC 2011.

RUGBY NEW ZEALAND 2011 LTD

• On 27 July 2006, Rugby World Cup Minister Trevor Mallard and NZRU Chairman Jock Hobbs announced that the New Zealand Government and the NZRU had finalised the formation of the Tournament organisation which would deliver Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand.

• The new company, Rugby New Zealand 2011 Limited (RNZ 2011), was incorporated on June 30 and assumed responsibility for all the planning, preparations and delivery of Rugby World Cup 2011 on behalf of its two primary stakeholders. The NZRU continues to be ultimately responsible for the Tournament, in conjunction with Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL) and the IRB.

• RNZ 2011 replaced the Establishment Board. The four members of this Board were all appointed to the Board of RNZ 2011 with two additional independent appointees. The two independent Directors were Sir Ron Carter, former Chairman of Beca Group Limited, and Lois Appleby, a Board member of the Victorian Major Events Company and former Chief Executive of Tourism Victoria and the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games.

• In October 2006, RNZ 2011 presented the Tournament Master Plan and Budget to Rugby World Cup Limited with both planning documents endorsed by RWCL.

• In December 2006, RNZ 2011 announced that New Zealand Cricket CEO Martin Snedden had been appointed CEO of RNZ 2011. Mr Snedden commenced his role with RNZ 2011 in May 2007.

• In March 2007, RNZ 2011 announced the first staff appointments with Nigel Cass appointed General Manager, Tournament Services and Therese Walsh appointed General Manager, Corporate Services. Three other appointments – Andrew Steele, Business Advisor, Tournament Services, Sally Kane, Business Advisor, Corporate Services and Cath Ingram, Executive Assistant, were announced. All five appointees previously worked for the NZRU.

• On July 24 2007, New Zealand Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Helen Clark, opened the RNZ 2011 Ltd offices in central Wellington.

• Following his retirement as CEO of the NZRU, Chris Moller was replaced in RNZ 2011 Ltd Board from February 2008 by NZRU CEO Steve Tew. In March 2008, the RNZ 2011 Board was expanded with the addition of one additional NZRU representative and one additional Crown representative. Former CEO Chris Moller was appointed as the NZRU representative and Tim Robinson as the Government representative.

• The RNZ 2011 management team was expanded with the appointment of Shane Harmon as General Manager, Marketing and Communications in June 2008.

RWC TOURNAMENT DETAILS AND COSTS

• Following confirmation by the IRB Council November 30, 2007, RWC 2011 will feature:
• 20 teams
• 48 matches
• Final to be played at an expanded Eden Park
• The Tournament will be played over seven weekends.

• As part of the Bid requirements and subsequent Host Union Agreement (HUA), New Zealand has guaranteed to deliver a minimum guarantee to the IRB. This guarantee is underpinned by a partnership with the New Zealand Government and a joint funding commitment from both partners.

• The agreement includes provisions that any profits from the Tournament will be shared on a 50/50 basis between the NZRU and the New Zealand Government, while any shortfall/losses on the Tournament will be met by a 1/3rd / 2/3rd split between the NZRU and the New Zealand Government respectively.

RWC TOURNAMENT TIMING

• In November 2006, the IRB and RNZ 2011 confirmed that RWC 2011 would be played during a September-October window.

• On July 24 2007, RWCL and RNZ 2011 Ltd announced that the final of RWC 2011 would be played on the weekend of October 22-23 (Labour Weekend).

Rugby World Cup VENUES

• As part of its philosophy of a "Stadium of Four Million", thirteen venues across New Zealand will host matches for Rugby World Cup (RWC) 2011.

• Wellington Regional Stadium will host two quarter-finals with the Final, Bronze Final and both semi-finals to be played at Eden Park in Auckland.

• The Tournament will kick off at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday September 9, 2011 when New Zealand will play Tonga.
• Auckland (Eden Park) and Wellington have been allocated five pool matches each while North Shore, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Rotorua and Dunedin will each host three matches. Whangarei, Nelson, Palmerston North, Napier and Invercargill will host two matches.

• The selection of host venues in March 2009 came after the culmination of a 22 month process that has involved 18 regions around New Zealand applying to host either a match or a team or both.
• New Zealand has a range of dedicated rugby venues across the country and these venues were recognised by players, officials, broadcasters and media as excellent during the 2005 DHL NZ Lions Series.

• Since New Zealand's Bid, RWC 2011 has been a catalyst for expansion and upgrade plans being advanced for a number of venues, which would be a further enhancement on the Bid commitments.

Venue for RWC 2011 quarter-finals

• On September 4, 2008, RWCL and RNZ 2011 jointly announced that Christchurch and Wellington would each host two quarter-finals.

• The announcement followed the first stage of a match and team allocation process which saw applications to host quarter-final matches lodged by the Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington regions, and applications to host the Bronze Final match by Auckland and Hamilton.

• The four quarter-finals will be played on the weekend of October 7, 8 and 9, 2011

Venue for RWC 2011 semi-finals, Bronze Final and Final

• New Zealand's RWC 2011 Bid was lodged (May 13, 2005) with a guaranteed capacity of 53,000 for Eden Park.

• New Zealand subsequently committed to an upgraded Eden Park with a capacity of 60,000 to host RWC 2011.

• The upgrade concept envisioned in the final Bid presentation included: - A mixture of Permanent and Temporary seating / facilities - A new South Stand - A large temporary West Stand above the existing West Stand

• After consideration and much debate over a range of proposals for stadia redevelopment – including a more complete redevelopment of Eden Park and a new purpose-built stadium on Auckland's waterfront, the New Zealand Government, Auckland's civic authorities and RNZ 2011, agreed in early 2007 that a revised upgrade proposal for Eden Park was the right option for hosting RWC 2011.

• While similar in approach, the approved proposal differs from the original Bid in that in place of the large temporary stand above the West Stand, the additional seating capacity will be created through the use of new and temporary seating overlays in the Eastern Terraces and a new South Stand.

• The revised proposal was endorsed by Rugby World Cup Limited (IRB) after their Board meeting in Auckland in March 2007, which reflected that the revised proposal - while different from the Bid – was an enhancement on the proposals included in New Zealand's original Bid.

• Design and planning work is continuing on the Eden Park upgrade involving the Ministry of Economic Development (on behalf of the Government), RNZ 2011, Eden Park Trust Board and other key stakeholders. The Government has announced that it will lead the funding process around the upgrade project.

• On November 23, 2007, the Eden Park Redevelopment Board announced that Fletcher Construction had been provisionally appointed as the preferred contractor for the construction of Eden Park for the Rugby World Cup 2011.

• Resource consent was granted for the new Eden Park South Stand in May 2008.

• Work on the redevelopment began in May 2008 with earthworks on the site. The existing South Stand and Eastern Terraces were demolished in August 2008 and construction of the new stands is expected to be completed during 2010.

• In September 2008, RNZ 2011 confirmed that in addition to the Final, Eden Park will host both RWC 2011 semi-finals and the Bronze Final (the match between the two losing semi-finalist teams).

• The semi-finals will be played on the weekend of October 15 and 16 while the Bronze Final will be staged two days prior to the Final which is scheduled to be played on Labour Weekend (October 21-23) 2011.

Rugby World Cup ECONOMIC IMPACT

• RNZ 2011 announced in September 2006 that hosting Rugby World Cup 2011 will generate more than $1.15 billion in total economic activity, and pump more than half a billion dollars into the New Zealand economy, according to the latest economic impact report prepared by Horwath Asia Pacific Ltd.

• According to the updated report, Rugby World Cup 2011 will add $507 million to New Zealand's gross domestic product, 23 per cent more than original forecasts prepared at the time of the bid to host the Cup.

• RWC 2011 will also provide the New Zealand Government an additional $112 million in tax revenue.

• Auckland, as host of the RWC 2011 Final, stands to gain around $240 million in additional gross domestic product and $262 million of total direct additional expenditure in the Auckland economy.

• Based on Australia's experience of hosting the 2003 Rugby World Cup, New Zealand can expect to attract as many as 66,000 international supporters, 2,500 international media, and up to 2,500 corporate and VIP guests throughout the tournament.

• Rugby World Cup 2007 brought in 400,000 additional visitors to France last September-October delivering a total economic impact of €4 billion (NZ$7 billion).

RWC AND RNZ 2011 LTD

• About Rugby New Zealand 2011 Ltd: Rugby New Zealand (RNZ) 2011 Ltd was established in June 2006 and is the organisation responsible for the planning and delivery of Rugby World Cup (RWC) 2011 in New Zealand on behalf of its shareholders, the New Zealand Rugby Union and the New Zealand Government. RNZ 2011 Ltd is governed by an eight-member Board of Directors which is chaired by current NZRU Chairman Jock Hobbs. The New Zealand Rugby Union was selected as the Host Union for RWC 2011 by the International Rugby Board Council in November 2005.

• About IRB Rugby World Cup: The IRB Rugby World Cup is the third largest sports event in the world. The inaugural tournament took place in 1987 and it is held every four years. In 2007 the sixth tournament was held in France and enjoyed a cumulative worldwide broadcast audience of more than 4 billion. For the latest on RWC tournaments visit www.rugbyworldcup.com (open new window)

Check out more information about the 2011 Rugby World Cup, its venues and useful information about the locations of each match.

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