The Rugby World Cup extravaganza that had begun in 1987 was carried forward with full glory and enthusiasm to the 1991 Rugby World Cup .
The Rugby World Cup of 1991 was hosted by England along with Ireland, Scotland, Wales and France.
New Zealand, the former Rugby World champions participated with a determination of retaining the cup. In the 1991 Rugby World Cup , qualifications were made on the basis of qualification matches . The quarter finalists of 1987 Rugby World Cup were automatically selected leaving place for eight other teams. The event began from 3 rd October, 1991 and ended on 2 nd November, 1991. There were total of sixteen teams who were divided into four pools and each pool had four members under it. Top two members from each team progressed to the quarter-finals. The quarter-finals were a knock-out game and the four top-scoring teams reached the semi-finals. The final match was played between Australia and England, with Australia clinching the winners’ tag.
Participating National Teams |
| Pool 1 | Pool 2 | Pool 3 | Pool 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | Scotland | Australia | France |
| England | Ireland | Wales | Fiji |
| Italy | Japan | Western Samoa | Canada |
| United States | Zimbabwe | Argentina | Romania |
Stadium Venues |
| Stadium Name | Capacity | City Name | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twickenham Stadium | 75000 | London | England, UK |
| Murrayfield Stadium | 67800 | Edinburgh | Scotland, UK |
| National Stadium (Cardiff Arms Park) | 53000 | Cardiff | Wales, UK |
| Parc des Princes | 48712 | Paris | France |
| Lansdowne Road | 49250 | Dublin | Ireland |
| Stade Ernest-Wallon | 19000 | Toulouse | France |
| Stadium Lille-Metropole | 18185 | Villeneuve d’Ascq | France |
| Stade de la Méditerranée | 18000 | Béziers | France |
| Welford Road | 16815 | Leicester | England, UK |
| Parc Municipal des Sports | 16000 | Brive | France |
| Stade Lesdiguières | 14000 | Grenoble | France |
| Stade Armandie | 14000 | Agen | France |
| Stade Jean Dauger | 13500 | Bayonne | France |
| Kingsholm | 12500 | Gloucester | England, UK |
| Ravenhill | 12300 | Belfast | England, UK |
| Stradey Park | 10800 | Llanelli | Wales, UK |
| Pontypool Park | 8800 | Pontypool | Wales, UK |
| Sardis Road | 7200 | Pontypridd | Wales, UK |
| Cross Green | 5000 | Otley | England, UK |
1991 Rugby World Cup Results |
| Scheduled Date | Team 1 | Match Result | Team 2 | Stadium Venue | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pool 1 | |||||
| Oct 3, 1991 | England | 41261 | New Zealand | London | England, UK |
| Oct 5, 1991 | Italy | 30 – 9 | USA | Otley | England, UK |
| Oct 8, 1991 | New Zealand | 46 – 6 | USA | Gloucester | England, UK |
| Oct 8, 1991 | England | 36 – 6 | Italy | London | England, UK |
| Oct 11, 1991 | England | 37 – 9 | USA | London | England, UK |
| Oct 13, 1991 | Italy | 21 – 31 | New Zealand | Leicester | England, UK |
Pool 2 |
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| Oct 5, 1991 | Scotland | 47 – 9 | Japan | Edinburgh | Scotland, UK |
| Oct 6, 1991 | Ireland | 55 – 11 | Zimbabwe | Dublin | Ireland |
| Oct 9, 1991 | Ireland | 32 – 16 | Japan | Dublin | Ireland |
| Oct 9, 1991 | Scotland | 51 – 12 | Zimbabwe | Edinburgh | Scotland, UK |
| Oct 12, 1991 | Scotland | 24 – 15 | Ireland | Edinburgh | Scotland, UK |
| Oct 14, 1991 | Japan | 52 – 8 | Zimbabwe | Belfast | Ireland |
Pool 3 |
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| Oct 4, 1991 | Argentina | 19 – 32 | Australia | Llanelli | Wales, UK |
| Oct 6, 1991 | Wales | 13 – 16 | Samoa | Cardiff | Wales, UK |
| Oct 9, 1991 | Australia | 41155 | Samoa | Pontypool | Wales, UK |
| Oct 9, 1991 | Wales | 16 – 7 | Argentina | Cardiff | Wales, UK |
| Oct 12, 1991 | Wales | 13940 | Australia | Cardiff | Wales, UK |
| Oct 13, 1991 | Argentina | 13119 | Samoa | Pontypridd | Wales, UK |
Pool 4 |
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| Oct 4, 1991 | France | 30 – 3 | Romania | Béziers | France |
| Oct 5, 1991 | Canada | 13 – 3 | Fiji | Bayonne | France |
| Oct 8, 1991 | France | 33 – 9 | Fiji | Grenoble | France |
| Oct 9, 1991 | Canada | 19 – 11 | Romania | Toulouse | France |
| Oct 12, 1991 | Fiji | 15 – 17 | Romania | Brive | France |
| Oct 13, 1991 | France | 19 – 13 | Canada | Agen | France |
Quarter Finals |
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| Oct 19, 1991 | Scotland | 28 – 6 | Samoa | Edinburgh | Scotland, UK |
| Oct 19, 1991 | France | 41201 | England | Paris | France |
| Oct 20, 1991 | Ireland | 18 – 19 | Australia | Dublin | Ireland |
| Oct 20, 1991 | Canada | 13 – 29 | New Zealand | Villeneuve-d’Ascq | France |
Semi Finals |
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| Oct 26, 1991 | Scotland | 41069 | England | Edinburgh | Scotland, UK |
| Oct 27, 1991 | Australia | 16 – 6 | New Zealand | Dublin | Ireland |
3rd Place Play-Off |
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| Oct 30, 1991 | New Zealand | 13 – 6 | Scotland | Cardiff | Wales, UK |
Final |
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| Nov 2, 1991 | England | 41072 | Australia | London | England, UK |
Rugby League World Cup