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2007 Rugby World Cup
2007-09-07 - 2007-10-20
Host nation	France
No. of nations	20 (91 qualifying)
Matches played	46
Attendance	2149607
	(46,731 per match)
Top scorer	Percy Montgomery (93)
Most tries	Bryan Habana (8)

The 2007 Rugby World Cup is the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union world championship inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations are competing for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003, beating a bid from England. The competition comprises 48 matches over 44 days. Forty-two matches are being played in ten cities throughout France, as well as four in Cardiff, Wales and two in Edinburgh, Scotland. Image File history File links Soccerball_current_event. ... Image File history File links World_cup. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Africa. ... Percival Colin Percy Montgomery (born 15 March 1974 in Walvis Bay, Cape Province, South Africa (now Walvis Bay, Namibia)) is a rugby player who currently plays as a fullback for the Springboks, for the Natal Sharks in the domestic Currie Cup, and for the Sharks in Super 14. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Africa. ... Bryan Gary Habana (born June 12, 1983)[1] in Benoni, Gauteng) is a South African rugby player who plays as a winger for the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup, the Bulls in Super 14, and the Springboks. ... For the rugby league competition, see Rugby League World Cup. ... An anniversary (from the Latin anniversarius, from the words for year and to turn, meaning (re)turning yearly; known in English since c. ... For other uses, see Rugby (disambiguation). ... The first Rugby World Cup took place in New Zealand and Australia in 1987, and was won by New Zealand. ... The Webb Ellis Cup. ... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article is about the capital city of Wales. ... This article is about the country. ... For other uses, see Edinburgh (disambiguation). ... This article is about the country. ...

The eight quarter-finalists from 2003 were granted automatic qualification, while 12 other nations gained entry through the regional qualifying competitions that began in 2004 - of them, Portugal is the only World Cup debutant. The top three nations from each pool at the end of the pool stage will qualify automatically for the 2011 World Cup. The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth rugby union world cup. ... The 2011 Rugby World Cup will be the seventh time that the Rugby World Cup (RWC) has been held. ...

The competition opened with a match between hosts France and Argentina on 7 September at the Stade de France in St-Denis, which will also be the venue of the final match between England and South Africa on 20 October. is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Stade de France and the district of La Plaine The Stade de France (the English translation Stadium of France is not used) is a stadium in an inner suburb of Paris, and the national stadium of France, built for the 1998 Football World Cup. ... Saint Denis can refer to: a Christian saint: see Denis Seine-Saint-Denis a département of France Several communes in France: Saint-Denis,in the Aude département Saint-Denis, in the Gard département Saint-Denis, in the Seine-Saint-Denis département, home of Saint Denis Basilica... First international (also the worlds first)  Scotland 4–1 England  (27 March 1871) Largest win  England 134–0 Romania  (17 November 2001) Worst defeat  Australia 76–0 England  (6 June 1998) World Cup Appearances 6 (First in 1987) Best result Champions, 2003 The England national rugby union team is... is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Bids

The Eiffel Tower in Paris decorated with a giant rugby ball for the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

Both England and France bid to host the tournament.^[1][2] The tender document for the 2007 bidding process was due out on October 31, 2001. Both England and France were invited to re-submit their plans.^[3] The International Rugby Board (IRB) stated that both countries must comply with tender document terms in one bid, but in their second option, could propose alternative ideas. The IRB said "England's original proposal contained three plans for hosting the tournament with a traditional, new and hybrid format all on offer... The French bid, while complying with the tender document in all other respects, fell outside one of the `windows` in which the IRB wanted to stage an event".^[3] England's bids included a two-tier tournament and altering the structure of the qualifying tournament and France had a bid in September/October.^[3] Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 354 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1062 × 1800 pixel, file size: 360 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 354 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1062 × 1800 pixel, file size: 360 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... The Eiffel Tower (French: , ) is an iron tower built on the Champ de Mars beside the River Seine in Paris. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... The IRB logo. ...

It was announced in April 2003 that France had won the right to host the tournament.^[4] The tournament was moved to the proposed September-October dates with the tournament structure remaining as it was.^[4] It was also announced that ten French cities would be hosting games, with the final at the Stade de France.^[4] French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin said that "this decision illustrates the qualities of our country and its capacity to host major sporting events...This World Cup will be the opportunity to showcase the regions of France where the wonderful sport of rugby is deeply rooted".^[4] French Sports Minister Jean-Francois Lamour said that "The organisation of this World Cup will shine over all of France because ten French towns have the privilege of organising matches and to be in the world's spotlight."^[4] French cities to host games are Bordeaux, Lens, Lyon, Marseilles, Montpellier, Nantes, St. Etienne, Toulouse and Paris, and it was also announced that the final would be at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.^[4]

Qualifying

Main article: 2007 Rugby World Cup qualifying

Nations participating in qualifying competition and those that have qualified automatically; Asia (purple), Africa (orange), Americas (green), Europe (blue) and Oceania (yellow). In total, over 90 nations took part.

The eight quarter-finalists from the 2003 World Cup all received automatic entry, with the other 12 nations coming from qualifying series around the world. Ten of the 20 positions available in the tournament were filled by regional qualifiers, with an additional two being filled by repechage qualification. The qualifying tournament was divided into five regional groups; Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania.^[5] Including the automatic qualifiers, over 90 nations were in qualifying contention for the final tournament. For the 2007 Rugby World Cup there are 20 places available in the finals tournament, held in France. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1427x628, 48 KB) Pays participants aux qualifications pour la coupe du monde de rugby 2007, regroupés par zone File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): 2007 Rugby... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1427x628, 48 KB) Pays participants aux qualifications pour la coupe du monde de rugby 2007, regroupés par zone File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): 2007 Rugby... The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth rugby union world cup. ... Repechage (French, pronounced re-pe-shage, literally re-fishing) is a practice amongst ladder competitions that allows participants that failed to meet qualifying standards by a small margin to continue to the next round. ... In qualifying for the 2007 Rugby World Cup,there is one place available for African teams, and one place in the repechage. ... 19 countries in the Pan American Rugby Association (PARA) compete for 3 direct entries and 1 repechage place (Repechage 1) against the winner of Africa 2 v Europe 4. ... Thirteen Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU) nations compete for one full place, and one repechage place (Repechage 2, against Oceania 3). ... 2007 Rugby World Cup - European qualification is based around the European Nations Cup, and will decide which European teams will participate in the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France. ... // Qualification process There are two places available for Oceania teams, and one place in the repechage. ...

In July 2005, both Samoa and Fiji were confirmed as the qualifiers from Oceania, as Oceania 1 and 2 respectively.^[6] In July of the following year, Argentina qualified as Americas 1 by defeating Uruguay 26-0 in Buenos Aires.^[7] Americas 2 was filled in August when Canada defeated the United States 56-7 in Newfoundland.^[8] The United States went on to qualify as Americas 3 after beating Uruguay in a two-legged tie in early October.^[9] That month also saw Italy qualify as Europe 1 after defeating Russia 67-7 in Moscow, reaching the first place in its qualifying group; Romania defeated Spain 43-20 in Madrid, and also qualified for the World Cup as Europe 2.^[10] Ongoing events • 2005 Atlantic and Pacific hurricanes • 2005 Maharashtra floods • 2005 Gujarat Flood • Expo 2005 in Aichi, Japan • Fuel prices • Gomery Comm. ... For other uses, see Buenos Aires (disambiguation). ... Newfoundland —   IPA: [nuw fÉ™n lænd] (French: , Irish: ) is a large island off the east coast of North America, and the most populous part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. ... For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Spanish capital. ...

Namibia qualified for their third consecutive World Cup after they earned their spot in France by defeating Morocco over two legs in November.^[11] In late 2006, it was announced that the IRB had withdrawn Colombo as the venue of the final Asian qualifying tournament due to security problems.^[12] Japan won the only Asian allocation after the tournament was moved to Hong Kong.^[13] Georgia was 14 points the better of Portugal over two legs to claim the last European place.^[13] Tonga qualified through repechage after defeating Korea.^[14] The final spot in Pool C went to Portugal, after beating Uruguay 24-23 on aggregate. Portugal's qualification was the only change in the 20-team roster from the 2003 World Cup, replacing Uruguay, becoming the only wholly amateur team to qualify. Map of Colombo with its administrative districts Coordinates: , District Colombo District Government  - Mayor Uvaiz Mohammad Imitiyaz (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) Area  - City 37. ... The Korea national rugby union team represents Korea in international rugby union. ... Look up amateur in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Nations

Hosting

See also: Rugby union in France

The 2007 World Cup will be hosted by France, with additional venues at Edinburgh and Cardiff.

France won the right to host the 2007 World Cup in 2003, and it was subsequently announced that four matches would be held in Wales, at Cardiff's 74,500 seat Millennium Stadium (two Pool B games that involve the Welsh team, the match between Fiji and Canada, and a quarter-final). Ireland was set to host matches in Dublin at Lansdowne Road, but due to scheduling conflicts with the reconstruction of the stadium, opted out.^[17] Rugby union is a popular team sport that is played in France. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (614x609, 57 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): 2007 Rugby World Cup ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (614x609, 57 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): 2007 Rugby World Cup ... This article is about the country. ... This article is about the capital city of Wales. ... The Millennium Stadium (Welsh: Stadiwm y Mileniwm), is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital Cardiff, and is used primarily for rugby union and football home internationals. ... First international  England 30 – 0 Wales  (19 February 1881) Largest win  Japan 0 – 98 Wales  (26 November 2004) Worst defeat  South Africa 96 – 13 Wales  (27 June 1998) World Cup Appearances 6/6 (First in 1987) Best result Third 1987 The Wales national rugby union team (also referred to as... For other uses, see Dublin (disambiguation). ... A DART train passes under the Lansdowne Road Rugby Football Stadium and over the level crossing as it enters the station of the same name. ...

Two Pool C matches were held at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium. It was rumoured that these games might end up being played elsewhere,^[17] Wales expressed interest in acquiring Scotland's allocation of matches if they were to withdraw,^[18] but it was confirmed in April 2006 that Scotland would be hosting the games after all. There is a substantial increase in the overall capacity of stadiums compared to the 2003 Rugby World Cup - the smallest venue at the 2007 tournament will seat 33,900 people. The French venues are the same as those used for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. There are around 6,000 volunteers who will help organise the competition.^[19] Organisers and volunteers gathered at Disneyland Resort Paris on 18 March to mark the start of the rugby celebrations.^[19] Also present on the day were members of the victorious French 2007 Six Nations champions team.^[19] For other uses, see Edinburgh (disambiguation). ... Murrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium in the capital of , Edinburgh, and is the home of Scottish Rugby Union. ... The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth rugby union world cup. ... Qualifying countries The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th staging of the World Cup, was held in France from June 10 to July 12 after 60 years to celebrate the third edition scheduled in 1938. ... Disneyland Resort Crymych is a holiday and recreation resort in Marne-la-Vallée, a new town in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Rugby was played at Croke Park for the first time, seen here during the Irish-French match. ...

Although the 2007 World Cup is the first tournament principally hosted by France, a number of matches during the 1991 and 1999 tournaments, where the finals were held in England and Wales respectively, were played in France. Pool D (which included France) matches were played throughout France including Béziers, Bayonne, Grenoble, Toulouse, Brive and Agen. Parc des Princes and Stadium Lille-Metropole also hosted a quarter-final each. Similarly, Pool C fixtures in 1999 were played throughout France in Béziers, Bordeaux and Toulouse.^[20] A second round match was held at Stade Félix Bollaert, and one quarter final was held at the Stade de France, both 2007 venues.^[20] This article is about the mens Rugby World Cup held in 1991. ... The 1999 Rugby World Cup, the first to be held in rugby unions professional era,[2] was hosted by Wales, with some matches also played in England, France, Scotland and Ireland. ... Béziers (Besièrs in Occitan, and Besiers in Catalan) is a town in Languedoc, in the southwest of France. ... Bayonne (French: Bayonne, pronounced ; Gascon Occitan and Basque: Baiona) is a city and commune of southwest France at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département, of which it is a sous-préfecture. ... Grenoble (Arpitan: Grasanòbol) is a city and commune in south-east France situated at the foot of the Alps where the Drac joins the Isère River. ... New city flag (Occitan cross) Traditional coat of arms Motto: (Occitan: For Toulouse, always more) Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Midi-Pyrénées Department Haute-Garonne (31) Intercommunality Community of Agglomeration of Greater Toulouse Mayor Jean-Luc Moudenc  (UMP) (since 2004) City Statistics Land... Brive-la-Gaillarde is a commune of France. ... For the Agen meteorite of 1814, see Meteorite falls. ... The Parc des Princes (translation: Princes Park) is a 48527 capacity stadium in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. ... Stade Lille-Metropole is a multi-use stadium in Villeneuve dAscq, France. ... Béziers (Besièrs in Occitan, and Besiers in Catalan) is a town in Languedoc, in the southwest of France. ... City logo (traditional tri-crescent) City coat of arms Motto: The fleur-de-lis alone rules over the moon, the waves, the castle, and the lion Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Aquitaine Department Gironde (33) Intercommunality Urban Community of Bordeaux Mayor Alain Juppé  (UMP) (since... New city flag (Occitan cross) Traditional coat of arms Motto: (Occitan: For Toulouse, always more) Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Midi-Pyrénées Department Haute-Garonne (31) Intercommunality Community of Agglomeration of Greater Toulouse Mayor Jean-Luc Moudenc  (UMP) (since 2004) City Statistics Land...

Saint Denis can refer to: a Christian saint: see Denis Seine-Saint-Denis a département of France Several communes in France: Saint-Denis,in the Aude département Saint-Denis, in the Gard département Saint-Denis, in the Seine-Saint-Denis département, home of Saint Denis Basilica... This article is about the capital of France. ... The Stade de France and the district of La Plaine The Stade de France (the English translation Stadium of France is not used) is a stadium in an inner suburb of Paris, and the national stadium of France, built for the 1998 Football World Cup. ... This article is about the capital city of Wales. ... This article is about the country. ... The Millennium Stadium (Welsh: Stadiwm y Mileniwm), is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital Cardiff, and is used primarily for rugby union and football home internationals. ... For other uses, see Edinburgh (disambiguation). ... This article is about the country. ... Murrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium in the capital of , Edinburgh, and is the home of Scottish Rugby Union. ... City flag Coat of arms Motto: By her great deeds, the city of Massilia shines Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur Department Bouches-du-Rhône (13) Subdivisions 16 arrondissements (in 8 secteurs) Intercommunality Urban Community of Marseille Provence M... The Stade Vélodrome is a 60,031 capacity stadium in Marseille, France. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... The Parc des Princes (translation: Princes Park) is a 48527 capacity stadium in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. ... Lens is commune in northern France, in the Pas-de-Calais département. ... Stade Félix Bollaert is a football stadium in Lens, France that was built in 1932. ... This article is about the French city. ... The stade de Gerland is the principal sporting hub of the city of Lyon. ... Traditional city flag City coat of arms Motto: Favet Neptunus eunti (Latin: Shall Neptune favour the traveller) Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Pays de la Loire Department Loire-Atlantique (44) Mayor Jean-Marc Ayrault  (PS) (since 1989) City Statistics Land area¹ 65. ... The Stade de La Beaujoire - Louis Fonteneau, better known as La Beaujoire, is a stadium in Nantes. ... New city flag (Occitan cross) Traditional coat of arms Motto: (Occitan: For Toulouse, always more) Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Midi-Pyrénées Department Haute-Garonne (31) Intercommunality Community of Agglomeration of Greater Toulouse Mayor Jean-Luc Moudenc  (UMP) (since 2004) City Statistics Land... Stade de Toulouse is a multi-use stadium in Toulouse, France. ... Coat of arms Motto: Franco-Provençal: Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Rhône-Alpes Department Loire (42) Canton Chief town of 9 cantons Intercommunality Communauté dagglomération Saint-Étienne Métropole Mayor Michel Thiollière  (UMP) (since 2001) Statistics Altitude 422 m–1... Stade Geoffroy-Guichard Stade Geoffroy-Guichard is a multi-use stadium in St. ... City logo (traditional tri-crescent) City coat of arms Motto: The fleur-de-lis alone rules over the moon, the waves, the castle, and the lion Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Aquitaine Department Gironde (33) Intercommunality Urban Community of Bordeaux Mayor Alain Juppé  (UMP) (since... Stade Chaban Delmas (previously known as Parc Lescure) is a football stadium in Bordeaux, France. ... Montpellier (Occitan Montpelhièr) is a city in the south of France. ... Stade de la Mosson is a multi-use stadium in Montpellier, France. ...

Tickets and sponsorship

The Official Rugby World Cup Shop.

Ticket sales for the Rugby World Cup were broken up into three phases. The first phase were released in November 2005, when members of the European rugby community, such as officials, players and so on were given the opportunity for various packages. Upon the release of the second phase ticketing scheme, more than 100,000 tickets were sold in the first ten hours of release.^[21] The remaining tickets — individual tickets and tickets to the semi-finals — were released in phase three in November 2006. In June 2007, it was announced that 2 million of the 2.4 million tickets had been sold in advance of the tournament.^[22] Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (3888 × 2592 pixel, file size: 3. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (3888 × 2592 pixel, file size: 3. ...

The Worldwide partners for the tournament are Société Générale, GMF, Électricité de France, Peugeot, Visa and SNCF,^[23] and official sponsors include Heineken, Vediorbis, Capgemini, Orange, Toshiba and Emirates.^[24] Gilbert will be providing the tournament balls, the Gilbert Synergie match ball will be used throughout the tournament. This continues Gilbert's involvement with the World Cup, the company having provided the Barbarian (1995), Revolution (1999) and Xact (2003) balls in the past.^[25] Along with Gilbert, the official suppliers are Adidas, Coca-Cola, Clifford Chance, Goodyear and McDonalds.^[26] The host broadcaster for the event is TVH.^[27] Société Générale (Euronext: GLE) is one of the main European financial services companies and also maintains extensive activities in others parts of the world. ... Possible meanings: General Management Framework Generational Ministries Fellowship Genetically modified food German Marshall Fund Glasgow Music Festival Global Missions Fellowship Grand Mothers Funck Graphical Modeling Framework Ground mobile forces This page extends a three-character combination which might be any or all of: an abbreviation, an acronym, an initialism, a... Électricité de France (EDF) is the main electricity generation and distribution company in France. ... For the bicycle manufacturer, see Cycles Peugeot. ... VISA is a brand of credit card operated by the VISA International Service Association of San Francisco, California, USA owned by 21,000 financial institutions that issues and markets its own Visa products. ... SNCF (Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français) (French National Railway Company) is a French public enterprise. ... Heineken Brewery (Heineken Brouwerijen) is a Dutch brewing company, founded in 1864 by Gerard Adriaan Heineken in Amsterdam. ... Capgemini (Euronext: CAP) is a major French company, one of the worlds largest information technology, management consulting, outsourcing and professional services companies with a staff of 75,000 operating in 30 countries. ... Orange SA IPA: is a mobile network operator and an internet service provider that is a subsidiary of France Télécom. ... Toshiba Corporations headquarters (Center) in Hamamatsucho, Tokyo Toshiba Corporation sales by division for year ending March 31, 2005 Toshiba Corporation ) (TYO: 6502 ) is a Japanese multinational conglomerate manufacturing company, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. ... “Emirates” redirects here. ... William Gilbert (1799-1877) was a cobbler in Rugby, Warwickshire, England. ... The Gilbert Synergie is a rugby union match ball produced by Gilbert. ... This article is about the company. ... The wave shape (known as the dynamic ribbon device) present on all Coca-Cola cans throughout the world derives from the contour of the original Coca-Cola bottles. ... Clifford Chance LLP is the largest law firm in the world, both by number of lawyers and revenue, and a component of the UKs Magic Circle. ... Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company was founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling. ... McDonalds Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is the worlds largest chain of fast-food restaurants [1]. Although McDonalds did not invent the hamburger or fast food, its name has become nearly synonymous with both. ...

Squads

Main article: 2007 Rugby World Cup squads

Each country is allowed a squad of 30 players for the tournament. These squads were to be submitted to the International Rugby Board by a deadline of the 14 August 2007.^[28] Once the squad is submitted a player may be replaced if injured, but will not be allowed to return to the squad. This article lists the official squads for the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France. ... is the 226th day of the year (227th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Match officials

The 2007 Rugby World Cup officials were appointed in late-April 2007, with 12 referees and 13 touch judges being selected. In the knockout stage the 12 referees will also act as touch judges, with referee appointments being based on performance from previous matches and selection for neutrality. Referees come from seven different nationalities and three of them are making their Rugby World Cup debut. The touch judges come from 10 different countries. Tony Spreadbury of England officiated the opening game between France and Argentina at the Stade de France^[29] and Irishman Alain Rolland will referee the final. April 2007 is the fourth month of the year. ... Antony John Spreadbury, commonly known as Tony or Spreaders (the latter traditionally pronounced with a strong west country accent), (born 28 March 1962 Bath, England) is one of the worlds most respected rugby union referees, and along with Chris White is one of Englands two highest level referees. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The Stade de France and the district of La Plaine The Stade de France (the English translation Stadium of France is not used) is a stadium in an inner suburb of Paris, and the national stadium of France, built for the 1998 Football World Cup. ... Alain Rolland (born 22 August 1966 in Dublin) is a former Irish rugby union footballer and current international referee. ...

Referees Country Name  Australia Dickinson, StuartStuart Dickinson  England Barnes, WayneWayne Barnes  England Spreadbury, TonyTony Spreadbury  England White, ChrisChris White  France Jutge, Joel, JoëlJoël Jutge  Ireland Lewis, AlanAlan Lewis  Ireland Rolland, AlainAlain Rolland  New Zealand Honiss, PaulPaul Honiss  New Zealand Walsh, SteveSteve Walsh  South Africa Jonker, MariusMarius Jonker  South Africa Kaplan, JonathanJonathan Kaplan  Wales Owens, NigelNigel Owens

Touch judges Country Name[30]  Argentina Cuesta, FedericoFederico Cuesta  Australia Marks, PaulPaul Marks  England Pearson, DaveDave Pearson  France Berdos, ChristopheChristophe Berdos  Italy Damasco, CarloCarlo Damasco  Ireland McDowell, SimonSimon McDowell  New Zealand Bray, LyndonLyndon Bray  New Zealand Deaker, KelvinKelvin Deaker  New Zealand Lawrence, BryceBryce Lawrence  Scotland Changleng, MalcolmMalcolm Changleng  South Africa Joubert, CraigCraig Joubert  South Africa Lawrence, MarkMark Lawrence  Wales Watkins, HughHugh Watkins

Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Stuart Dickinson (born 19 July 1968) is an Australian international rugby union referee. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Wayne Barnes while refereeing a rugby game. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Antony John Spreadbury, commonly known as Tony or Spreaders (the latter traditionally pronounced with a strong west country accent), (born 28 March 1962 Bath, England) is one of the worlds most respected rugby union referees, and along with Chris White is one of Englands two highest level referees. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This page may meet Wikipedia’s criteria for speedy deletion. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Joël Jutge (born 5 May 1966) is a French international rugby union referee. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ireland_rugby. ... David Alan Lewis (born 1 June 1964 in Cork, Republic of Ireland)[1] is an Irish former cricketer and Rugby Union referee. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ireland_rugby. ... Alain Rolland (born 22 August 1966 in Dublin) is a former Irish rugby union footballer and current international referee. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_New_Zealand. ... Paul Honiss (born 18 June 1963) is a New Zealand international rugby union referee. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_New_Zealand. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Africa. ... Marius Jonker is a South African international rugby union referee. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Africa. ... Jonathan Kaplan (born 7 November 1966) is a South African international rugby union referee. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Wales_2. ... This article is about the country. ... Nigel Owens is a Welsh international rugby union referee. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Argentina. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ireland_rugby. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_New_Zealand. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_New_Zealand. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_New_Zealand. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Scotland. ... This article is about the country. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Africa. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Africa. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Wales_2. ... This article is about the country. ...

Format

The opening ceremony of the
2007 Rugby World Cup

The competition will be contested over 44 days between 20 different nations, over 48 fixtures. The tournament began on 7 September at the Stade de France with a match between the host nation, France, and Argentina. The tournament culminates at the same venue on 20 October for the Final between England and South Africa to decide who wins the Webb Ellis Cup. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 457 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 457 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Stade de France and the district of La Plaine The Stade de France (the English translation Stadium of France is not used) is a stadium in an inner suburb of Paris, and the national stadium of France, built for the 1998 Football World Cup. ... is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Webb Ellis Cup. ...

Pool stage

The 20 nations are split up into four pools, designated A through to D, each comprising five teams. Each pool has one semi-finalist and one quarter-finalist (automatic qualifiers) from the 2003 tournament, with the other three places filled via the qualification system. Each nation plays every other team in their pool once; each nation will therefore play four matches during the pool stage.

Classification within each pool is based on the following scoring system:

• four match points for a win;
• two for a draw;
• zero for a loss.^[31]

Bonus points, contributing to a team's cumulative match-point score, are awarded in each of the following instances (one match point for each event): The Rugby union bonus points system is a method of deciding table points from a Rugby union match. ...

• a team scores four or more tries (regardless of the match result);
• a team loses by seven points (a converted try) or fewer.^[31]

At the end of the pool stage, teams will be ranked from first to fifth based on cumulative match points, with the top two nations proceeding to the quarter-finals. This article refers to the use of the word Try in rugby football terminology. ...

If at the completion of the pool phase two or more Teams are level on Match points, then the following criteria shall be used in the following order until one of the Teams can be determined as the higher ranked: ^[31]

i. The winner of the Match in which the two tied Teams have played each other shall be the higher ranked;

ii. The Team which has the best difference between points scored for and points scored against in all its pool Matches shall be the higher ranked;

iii. The Team which has the best difference between tries scored for and tries scored against in all its pool Matches shall be the higher ranked;

iv. The Team which has scored most points in all its pool Matches shall be the higher ranked;

v. The Team which has scored most tries in all its pool Matches shall be the higher ranked;

vi. Should the tie be unresolved at the conclusion of steps (i) through (v), the Team that is higher ranked in the updated Official IRB World Rankings on October 1, 2007.

By elevating head-to-head results (rule i) above points difference (rule ii), a notable difference is created to other sports competitions, in which points difference usually determines rank for teams with the same number of match points (table points). These rules allowed the winners of Pools A, B and C to be determined by the results of the third pool matches on the weekend of September 22 and 23.^[32] Although other teams could theoretically draw level on table points with South Africa, Australia and New Zealand and exceed their points differences at the end of the pool stages, head-to-head results by that time ensured these teams could be declared winners of their respective pools, with a match to spare. This also illustrates the fact that the pool tables do not tell the whole story.

Knockout stage

From this stage onwards, the tournament adopts a knockout format comprising eight fixtures: four quarter-finals, two semi-finals, a bronze medal match, and the final. The winner and runner-up from each of the four pools advance to the quarter-finals. Pool winners are drawn against opposite pool runners-up in the quarter-finals, e.g. the winner of Pool A faces the runner up of Pool B, and the winner of Pool B face the runner-up of Pool A. The third place playoff (sometimes called the bronze medal game or consolation game) is a single bout that is included in many sporting knockout tournaments to decide which competitor or team will be credited with finishing third and fourth. ...

Each match in the knockout stage must conclude in a victory. If, after eighty minutes of normal play, a match results in a draw, further play is made to determine an outright winner. Initially, there will be two periods of extra time, 10 minutes each way; if there is no winner after this, then play proceeds to a single 10 minute period of 'sudden death' play. If the contest is unresolved after a total 110 minutes of open play, the winner will be determined by a placekicking competition.^[31] Extra time is an additional period played at the end of some games of football (soccer) if the score is tied after the two standard periods (halves) of play. ... Sudden death (or a sudden death round) is a way of providing a winner for a contest or game (typically a sport) which would otherwise end in a tie. ...

Effect on 2011 qualification

In a change from the format of the previous tournament, the top three teams in each pool will qualify for the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand;^[33] previously, only the eight quarter-finalists gained an automatic place in the following tournament. For the 2011 Rugby World Cup there are 16 places available in the finals tournament, held in New Zealand. ... The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth rugby union world cup. ... The 2011 Rugby World Cup will be the seventh time that the Rugby World Cup (RWC) has been held. ...

Pool stage

All times French time (UTC+2) The 2011 Rugby World Cup will be the seventh time that the Rugby World Cup (RWC) has been held. ... Time zones of Europe: Light colours indicate countries that do not observe summer time Central European Summer Time (CEST) is one of the names of UTC+2 time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. ...

Pool A

Main article: 2007 Rugby World Cup - Pool A