The Men’s Rugby World Cup is a rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams, the winners of which are recognised as the world champions of the sport.
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The tournament was first held in 1987 and was co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia. Four countries have won the trophy; South Africa four times, New Zealand three times, Australia twice, and England once. South Africa is the current champion, having defeated New Zealand in the final of the 2023 tournament.
Sixteen teams participated in the tournament from 1987 until 1995; in 1999, the tournament expanded to twenty teams. Japan hosted the 2019 Rugby World Cup and France hosted the 2023 Rugby World Cup. The tournament will expand again to twenty-four teams when it is held in Australia in 2027.
Nations play three pool games, playing their respective pool members once each. A bonus points system is used during pool play. If two or more teams are level on points, a system of criteria determines the higher ranked.
Sixteen teams-the winner and runner-up from each of the six pools, plus the four best third placed teams-enter the knockout stage. The knockout stage consists of a round-of-sixteen, quarter-final, semi-finals, and then a final round which includes a bronze medal match and the Rugby World Cup Final. If a match in the knockout stages ends in a draw, the winner is determined through extra time. If that fails, the match goes into sudden death and the next team to score any points is the winner.
