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The Australian national rugby union team, known as the Wallabies, has played all eight Rugby World Cup tournaments. They are one of the three best performing teams, having won two tournaments, as has South Africa; only New Zealand has done better, winning three tournaments. Australia has hosted or co-hosted the tournament on two occasions – in 1987 and 2003.
Contents
By position
1987 New Zealand & Australia
1991 UK, Ireland and France
Quarter final
1995 South Africa
Group matches
1999 Wales
2003 Australia
2007 France
Pool B games -
2011 New Zealand
2015 England
1987
Australia hosted the first 1987 Rugby World Cup, along with New Zealand. Games were hosted at the following stadiums -
Most of the pool games were in New Zealand, but the semi-finals, and one of the quarter finals, were played in Australia.
2003
Australia won the right to host the World Cup in 2003 without the involvement of New Zealand after a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World Cup Limited. The overall stadium capacity was reduced from the 1999 Rugby World Cup in Wales.
The Adelaide Oval underwent a A$20 million redevelopment for the 2003 Rugby World Cup, financed entirely by the South Australian Cricket Association, with two new grandstands built adjacent to the Victor Richardson Gates. The Suncorp Stadium was a new A$280 million venue designed specifically for rugby, and was opened just before the start of the 2003 World Cup. The Central Coast Stadium was also a newly built venue, and opened in February 2000 at a cost of A$30 million.
Aussie Stadium was one of two venues in Sydney that were used for football during the 2000 Olympic Games. The other venue in Sydney was the Telstra Stadium which was the centrepiece of the 2000 Olympic Games. Formerly known as Stadium Australia, Telstra Stadium was built at a cost of over A$600 million and was the biggest stadium used in the 2003 World Cup. The only stadium with a retractable roof used was the Telstra Dome in Melbourne.
Australia intended to bid for the 2015 and 2019 Rugby World Cups, but withdrew from the bidding. The bids were awarded to England and Japan respectively.
Team records
142 vs Namibia, 2003
91 vs Japan, 2007
90 vs Romania, 2003
68 vs Russia, 2011
67 vs United States, 2011
66 vs Namibia, 2015
57 vs Romania, 1999
55 vs United States, 1999
55 vs Fiji, 2007
Individual records
42 vs Namibia - Mat Rogers 2003
30 vs Romania - Elton Flatley 2003
27 vs Fiji - Matt Giteau 2007
25 vs France - Matt Burke 1999
25 vs Namibia - Chris Latham 2003
5 vs Namibia - Chris Latham 2003
3 vs Romania - Toutai Kefu 1999
3 vs Fiji - Drew Mitchell 2007
3 vs United States - Adam Ashley-Cooper 2011
3 vs Romania - Mat Rogers 2003
3 vs Namibia - Lote Tuqiri 2003
3 vs Namibia - Matt Giteau 2003
3 vs Japan - Rocky Elsom 2003
8 vs South Africa - Matt Burke 1999
7 vs France - Matt Burke 1999
5 vs England - Michael Lynagh 1995
5 vs New Zealand - Elton Flatley 2003
Portrayal on screen
Australia can be seen playing South Africa in the feature film Invictus based on the 1995 Rugby World Cup.