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RWC 1987

Carl Mullen signs rugby ball for small boy

Introduction

16 Unions (by invitation) take part in first Rugby World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand. Sixteen teams gathered in Australia and New Zealand, but there were only three real contenders for the trophy.

The semifinal match between the European champions France and favorites Australia is often billed as the match of the tournament. France would defeat the men from Down Under, only to lose to New Zealand in the final 29-9 at Eden Park on June 20.

The gap between the established and the emerging nations was apparent, illustrating that rugby was still far from a global game and that the form of the British and Irish, with the exception of Scotland, was weak. Despite some initial apathy, the sixteen-nation tournament began to capture the public imagination as it progressed.

The competition gave the likes of Argentina, Fiji, Japan and Romania the chance to prove they were more than mere cannon fodder.

But it showed in stark focus the widening gulf between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres which would soon herald the end of the amateur game.

The USA National Women’s Team was founded in 1987.


RUGBY WORLD CUP RESULTS 1987
POOL A POOL B POOL C POOL D
Australia 19 - 6 England Canada 37 - 4 Tonga New Zealand 70 - 6 Italy Romania 21 - 20 Zimbabwe
USA 21 - 18 Japan Wales 13 - 6 Ireland Fiji 28 - 9 Argentina France 20 - 20 Scotland
England 60 - 7 Japan Wales 29 - 16 Tonga New Zealand 74 - 13 Fiji France 55 - 12 Romania
Australia 47 - 12 USA Ireland 46 - 19 Canada Argentina 25 - 16 Italy Scotland 60 - 21 Zimbabwe
England 34 - 6 USA Wales 40 - 9 Canada Italy 18 - 15 Fiji Scotland 55 - 28 Romania
Australia 42 - 12 Japan Ireland 32 - 9 Tonga New Zealand 46 - 15 Argentina France 70 - 12 Zimbabwe

 
POOL A P W D L F A PTS
Australia 3 3 0 0 108 41 6
England 3 2 0 1 100 32 4
USA 3 1 0 2 39 99 2
Japan 3 0 0 3 48 123 0

POOL B P W D L F A PTS
Wales 3 3 0 0 89 31 6
Ireland 3 2 0 1 84 41 4
Canada 3 1 0 2 65 90 2
Tonga 3 0 0 3 29 98 0

POOL C P W D L F A PTS
New Zealand 3 3 0 0 190 34 6
Fiji 3 1 0 2 56 101 2
Argentina 3 1 0 2 49 90 2
Italy 3 1 0 3 40 110 2

POOL D P W D L F A PTS
France 3 2 1 0 145 44 5
Scotland 3 2 1 0 135 69 5
Romania 3 1 0 2 61 130 2
Zimbabwe 3 0 0 3 53 151 0

 

1987 RWC John Kirwan's fantastic solo try vs. Italy

 

QUARTER-FINALS
SEMI-FINALS
3rd PLACE PLAY-OFF
FINAL
New Zealand 30 - 3 Scotland
France 30 - 24 Australia Wales 22 - 21 Australia NEW ZEALAND 29 - 9 FRANCE
France 31 - 16 Fiji
Australia 33 - 15 Ireland
New Zealand 49 - 6 Wales
Wales 16 - 13 England

Semi-finals

Australia
Campese, Grigg, Slack (c), Papworth, Burke, Lynagh, Farr-Jones, Lillicrap, Lawton, McIntyre, Campbell, Cutler, Miller, Coker, Poidevin
Replacements : Herbert for Papworth, Codey for Campbell
Tries: Campese, Codey, Conversion: Lynagh (2), Penalty Goals: Lynagh (3), Dropped Goal: Lynagh

France
Blanco, Camberabero, Sella, Charvet, Lagisquet, Mesnel, Berbizier, Ondarts, Dubroca (c), Garuet, Lorieux, Condom, Champ, Rodriguez, Erbani
Tries: Lerieux, Sella, Laqisquet, Blanco Conversions: Camberabero (4), Penalty Goals: Camberabero (2)


New Zealand

Gallagher, Kirwan, Stanley, Taylor, Green, Fox, Kirk (c), Drake, Fitzpatrick, McDowell, Pierce, G Whetton, A Whetton, Shelford, Brooke-Cowden

Replacement : McCahill for Stanley

Tries: Shelford (2), Kirwan (2), Drake, A Whetton, Stanley, Brooke-Cowden, Conversions: Fox (7), Penalty Goal: Fox

Wales

Thoburn, Evans, Devereux, Bowen, Hadley, J Davies, Jones, Buchanan, K Phillips, Young, R Moriarty (c), Richards, P Moriarty, P Davies, Collins

Replacement : Sutton for Collins

Try: Devereux, Conversion: Thorburn

The final

NEW ZEALAND 29 (John Kirwan, David Kirk, Michael Jones tries; Grant Fox four penalty goals, conversion, field goal) bt. FRANCE 9 (Pierre Berbizier try; Didier Camberabero penalty goal, goal) at Eden Park, Auckland. Crowd: 46,000. Referee: Kerry Fitzgerald (Australia).

New Zealand: 1. John Drake, 2. Sean Fitzpatrick, 3. Steve McDowell, 4. Murray Pierce, 5. Gary Whetton, 6. Alan Whetton, 7. Michael Jones, 8. Buck Shelford, 9. David Kirk (c), 10. Grant Fox, 11. John Kirwan, 12. Joe Stanley, 13. Warwick Taylor, 14. Craig Green, 15. John Gallagher.

France: 1. Jean-Pierre Garuet-Lempirou, 2. Daniel Dubroca (c), 3. Pascal Ondarts, 4. Jean Condom, 5. Alain Lorieux, 6. Dominique Erbani, 7. Eric Champ, 8. Laurent Rodriguez, 9. Pierre Berbizier, 10. Franck Mesnel, 11. Patrice Lagisquet, 12. Denis Charvet, 13. Philippe Sella, 14. Didier Camberabero, 15. Serge Blanco.

 

Courtesy BBC: New Zealand captain David Kirk becomes the first man to lift the new Rugby World Cup

 

 

 

 

 

 

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