2007 Rugby World Cup
2007-09-07 - 2007-10-20
Host nation	France
No. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1251 BC - A Solar eclipse on this date might mark the birth of legendary Heracles at Thebes Greece. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1740 - Maria Theresa takes the throne of Austria. France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. of nations	20 (91 qualifying)
Champions	South Africa
Runner-up	England
Matches played	48
Attendance	2,263,223 (47,150 per match)
Top scorer	Percy Montgomery (105)
Most tries	Bryan Habana (8)
Preceded by	2003 Rugby World Cup
Succeeded by	2011 Rugby World Cup

The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union world championship inaugurated in 1987. The South Africa national Rugby union team (commonly referred to as the Springboks in English Springbokke in Afrikaans and Amabokoboko The England national rugby union team represents England in Rugby union. Percival Colin "Percy" Montgomery (born 15 March 1974 in Walvis Bay, South Africa, now Namibia) is a South African Bryan Gary Habana (born he played outside centre and scrumhalf in provincial and age group rugby but once he was moved to the wing a vast improvement was seen The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby union world cup and was won by England. The 2011 Rugby World Cup will be the seventh staging of the tournament. The Rugby World Cup is the premier international Rugby union competition An anniversary (from the Latin anniversarius, from the words for year and to turn meaning (returning yearly known in English since c. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short The First Rugby World Cup was hosted by New Zealand and Australia in 1987 and was won by New Zealand. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October, and won by South Africa, who defeated England at the Stade de France in St. Denis, Paris. The Webb Ellis Cup, also referred to as the "Webb Ellis Trophy" or "Bill" is the main prize of the Rugby World Cup. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Events 1251 BC - A Solar eclipse on this date might mark the birth of legendary Heracles at Thebes Greece. Events 1740 - Maria Theresa takes the throne of Austria. France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony The South Africa national Rugby union team (commonly referred to as the Springboks in English Springbokke in Afrikaans and Amabokoboko The Stade de France is a Stadium in Saint-Denis, France in the inner suburbs of Paris. Saint Denis (also called Dionysius, Dennis, or Denys) is a Christian martyr and Saint. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city France won the hosting rights in 2003, beating a bid from England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The competition consisted of 48 matches over 44 days; 42 matches were played in ten cities throughout France, as well as four in Cardiff, Wales, and two in Edinburgh, Scotland. Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain.

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 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby union world cup and was won by England. The Portugal national rugby union team, nicknamed "Os Lobos" Portuguese for "the wolves" is a third tier Rugby union side representing Portugal The top three nations from each pool at the end of the pool stage will qualify automatically for the 2011 World Cup. The 2011 Rugby World Cup will be the seventh staging of the tournament.

The competition opened with a match between hosts France and Argentina on 7 September at the Stade de France in St-Denis. The France national rugby union team represents France in Rugby union. The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international Rugby union matches Events 1251 BC - A Solar eclipse on this date might mark the birth of legendary Heracles at Thebes Greece. The Stade de France is a Stadium in Saint-Denis, France in the inner suburbs of Paris. Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. The stadium was also the venue of the final match between England and South Africa on 20 October, which South Africa won by 15 points to 6, granting them their second World Cup title. The England national rugby union team represents England in Rugby union. The South Africa national Rugby union team (commonly referred to as the Springboks in English Springbokke in Afrikaans and Amabokoboko Events 1740 - Maria Theresa takes the throne of Austria. France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony

Bids

The Eiffel Tower in Paris decorated with a giant rugby ball for the 2007 Rugby World Cup. The Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel /tuʀ ɛfɛl/ is an Iron Tower built Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city

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. Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. 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 International Rugby Board (IRB is the world governing and law-making body for the sport of Rugby union, and previously for Rugby football. 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]

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). For the 2007 Rugby World Cup there were 20 places available in the finals tournament held in France. 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. The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby union world cup and was won by England. Ten of the 20 positions available in the tournament were filled by regional qualifiers, with an additional two being filled by repechage qualification. Repechage (repêchage lit re-fishing meaning "to rescue" or "to save" is a practice amongst ladder competitions that allows participants that failed to meet qualifying The qualifying tournament was divided into five regional groups; Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. In qualifying for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, there is one place available for African teams and one place in the repechage. In qualification for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, 19 countries in the Pan American Rugby Association (PARA compete for 3 direct entries and 1 repechage place (Repechage 1 against In qualification for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, thirteen Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU nations compete for one full place and one repechage place (Repechage 2 against Oceania 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 In qualification for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, there are two places available for Oceania teams and one place in the repechage. ^[5] Qualifying matches began in 2004 and were completed in early 2007. Including the automatic qualifiers, over 90 nations were in qualifying contention for the final tournament.

In July 2005, both Samoa and Fiji were confirmed as the qualifiers from Oceania, as Oceania 1 and 2 respectively. The national Rugby union team of Samoa is called Manu Samoa (the name of a famous Samoan chief some 10 generations ago The Fiji National rugby union team is one of the strongest national rugby union teams of the world and the third from Oceania, even still as a second tier nation ^[6] In July of the following year, Argentina qualified as Americas 1 by defeating Uruguay 26-0 in Buenos Aires. The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international Rugby union matches Uruguay has played in the 1999 and 2003 Rugby World Cups They have been playing international rugby since the late 1940s Buenos Aires is the Capital and largest city of Argentina. It is geographically located on the southern shore of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern ^[7] Americas 2 was filled in August when Canada defeated the United States 56-7 in Newfoundland. For the Canadian Rugby league team see Canada national rugby league team. For the American Rugby league team see United States national rugby league team. Newfoundland — ˈn(jufənˌlænd (Terre-Neuve Talamh an Éisc — is a large island 15 km off the east coast of ^[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. For the rugby sevens side see Italian national rugby union team (sevens The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of The Russia national rugby union team is the national team of Russia. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of The Romania national rugby union team, nicknamed The Oaks ( Stejarii) have long been one of the stronger European teams outside of the Six Nations The Spain national rugby union team are a national sporting side of Spain, representing them at Rugby union. Madrid (pronounced in English in Spanish and colloquially in Spain) is the Capital and largest city of Spain. ^[10]

Namibia qualified for their third consecutive World Cup after they earned their spot in France by defeating Morocco over two legs in November. The Namibian rugby union team, nicknamed the Welwitschias or Biltongboere, represents Namibia at Rugby union. The Morocco national rugby union team are a national sporting side representing Morocco in Rugby union. ^[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. Colombo ( Sinhala:, ˈkoləmbə Tamil: கொழும்பு is the largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka. ^[12] Japan won the only Asian allocation after the tournament was moved to Hong Kong. For the Japanese Rugby League team see Japan national rugby league team. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders ^[13] Georgia was 14 points the better of Portugal over two legs to claim the last European place. The Georgia national rugby union team represents the former Soviet Caucasian republic of Georgia in Rugby union. The Portugal national rugby union team, nicknamed "Os Lobos" Portuguese for "the wolves" is a third tier Rugby union side representing Portugal ^[13] Tonga qualified through repechage after defeating Korea. The Tonga national rugby union team is nicknamed Ikale Tahi (Sea Eagles. The Korea national rugby union team represents South Korea in international Rugby union. ^[14] The final spot went to Portugal, joining Pool C after beating Uruguay 24-23 on aggregate. The Portugal national rugby union team, nicknamed "Os Lobos" Portuguese for "the wolves" is a third tier Rugby union side representing Portugal Uruguay has played in the 1999 and 2003 Rugby World Cups They have been playing international rugby since the late 1940s 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. An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit study or science without formal training or pay

Nations

Hosting

See also: Rugby union in France

The 2007 World Cup was hosted by France, with additional venues at Edinburgh and Cardiff. See also 2007 Rugby World Cup#Pool stage 2, L1=2007 Rugby World Cup Pool A of the 2007 Rugby World Cup began on 8 September and was completed on See also 2007 Rugby World Cup#Pool stage 2, L1=2007 Rugby World Cup Pool B of the 2007 Rugby World Cup began on 8 September and was completed on See also 2007 Rugby World Cup#Pool stage 2, L1=2007 Rugby World Cup Pool C of the 2007 Rugby World Cup began on 8 September and concluded on See also 2007 Rugby World Cup#Pool stage 2, L1=2007 Rugby World Cup Pool D of the 2007 Rugby World Cup began on 7 September and concluded on The England national rugby union team represents England in Rugby union. The national Rugby union team of Samoa is called Manu Samoa (the name of a famous Samoan chief some 10 generations ago The South Africa national Rugby union team (commonly referred to as the Springboks in English Springbokke in Afrikaans and Amabokoboko The Tonga national rugby union team is nicknamed Ikale Tahi (Sea Eagles. For the American Rugby league team see United States national rugby league team. The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in Rugby union. For the Canadian Rugby league team see Canada national rugby league team. The Fiji National rugby union team is one of the strongest national rugby union teams of the world and the third from Oceania, even still as a second tier nation For the Japanese Rugby League team see Japan national rugby league team. The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international For the rugby sevens side see Italian national rugby union team (sevens The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of The All Blacks are New Zealand's national team in Rugby union, the country's National sport. The Portugal national rugby union team, nicknamed "Os Lobos" Portuguese for "the wolves" is a third tier Rugby union side representing Portugal The Romania national rugby union team, nicknamed The Oaks ( Stejarii) have long been one of the stronger European teams outside of the Six Nations The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international Rugby union. The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international Rugby union matches The France national rugby union team represents France in Rugby union. The Georgia national rugby union team represents the former Soviet Caucasian republic of Georgia in Rugby union. The Ireland rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in Rugby union, which is a popular sport throughout both the Republic of Ireland and The Namibian rugby union team, nicknamed the Welwitschias or Biltongboere, represents Namibia at Rugby union. Rugby union is the second most popular team sport in France after football and is actually the dominant sport in most of the southern half of the country

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 involving Wales, the match between Fiji and Canada, and a quarter-final). Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. The Millennium Stadium (Stadiwm y Mileniwm is the National stadium of Wales, located in the capital Cardiff. The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international The Fiji National rugby union team is one of the strongest national rugby union teams of the world and the third from Oceania, even still as a second tier nation For the Canadian Rugby league team see Canada national rugby league team. Ireland was to have hosted matches at Lansdowne Road, Dublin, but opted out because the stadium was being redeveloped. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Location The stadium is situated in the neighbourhood of Ballsbridge in the city's Dublin 4 area Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. ^[17]

Two Pool C matches were played at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium. Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. Murrayfield is a sports Stadium in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and is the home of Scottish Rugby Union There had been speculation that the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) was having doubts about hosting these games,^[17] and that the Welsh Rugby Union might be interested in hosting them,^[18] but the SRU confirmed in April 2006 that the games would be played at Murrayfield. The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU ( Undeb Rygbi Cymru) is the governing body of Rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board

There was a substantial increase in the overall capacity of stadiums compared to the 2003 Rugby World Cup — the smallest venue at the 2007 tournament could seat 33,900 people. The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby union world cup and was won by England. The French venues were the same as those used for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. 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 Around 6,000 volunteers helped to organise the competition. ^[19]

Although the 2007 tournament was the first to be hosted primarily by France, a number of matches during the 1991 and 1999 tournaments were played in France. The 1991 Rugby World Cup was jointly hosted by England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and France. The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup and the first to be held in Rugby union 's professional era. In 1991, matches in Pool D (which included France) were played in Béziers, Bayonne, Grenoble, Toulouse, Brive and Agen, while Parc des Princes and Stadium Lille-Metropole each hosted a quarter-final. Béziers ( Besièrs in Occitan, and Besiers in Catalan) is a town in Languedoc, in the southwest of France. Bayonne ( French: Bayonne bajɔn Gascon Occitan and Basque: Baiona) is a city and commune of southwest Grenoble is a city and commune in south-east France situated at the foot of the Alps where the Drac joins the Isère River. Toulouse ( pronounced in standard French, and in the local accent ( Occitan: Tolosa, pronounced) is a city in southwest Brive-la-Gaillarde ( Limousin dialect of Occitan language Briva la Galharda) is a commune of France. Agen (aʒɛ̃ is a commune in the Lot-et-Garonne department in the Aquitaine region in southwestern France. The Parc des Princes, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France was originally a Velodrome, the finish of the Tour de France from Stade Lille-Metropole is a multi-use Stadium in Villeneuve d'Ascq, France. Similarly, in 1999, fixtures in Pool C (which included France) were played in Béziers, Bordeaux and Toulouse,^[20] Stade Félix-Bollaert was the venue for one of the quarter-final play-offs, and Stade de France hosted a quarter-final. Béziers ( Besièrs in Occitan, and Besiers in Catalan) is a town in Languedoc, in the southwest of France. ( Gascon: Bordèu) is a port city in southwest France, with one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area at a 2008 estimate Toulouse ( pronounced in standard French, and in the local accent ( Occitan: Tolosa, pronounced) is a city in southwest History The stadium has hosted matches in the following major international tournaments 1984 European Championship 1998 FIFA World Cup 1999 The Stade de France is a Stadium in Saint-Denis, France in the inner suburbs of Paris. ^[20]

Tickets and sponsorship

The Official Rugby World Cup Shop in Paris. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Stade de France is a Stadium in Saint-Denis, France in the inner suburbs of Paris. Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. The Millennium Stadium (Stadiwm y Mileniwm is the National stadium of Wales, located in the capital Cardiff. Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Murrayfield is a sports Stadium in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and is the home of Scottish Rugby Union Marseille, ( English alt Marseilles mɑrˈseɪ — French: maʁsɛj locally — Provençal Occitan: Marselha maʀˈsijɔ This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Stade Vélodrome is a 60031 capacity Stadium in Marseille, France. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Parc des Princes, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France was originally a Velodrome, the finish of the Tour de France from Lens is a commune in northern France, in the Pas-de-Calais département. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. History The stadium has hosted matches in the following major international tournaments 1984 European Championship 1998 FIFA World Cup 1999 ||-||} Lyon, also known as Lyons in English is a city in east-central France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Stade de Gerland (or Stade Gerland) is the principal sporting hub of the city of Lyon. Nantes (Naoned Gallo: Naunnt) is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Stade de la Beaujoire - Louis Fonteneau, better known as La Beaujoire, is a Stadium in Nantes, France. Toulouse ( pronounced in standard French, and in the local accent ( Occitan: Tolosa, pronounced) is a city in southwest This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Stadium de Toulouse is a multi-use Stadium in Toulouse, France. Saint-Étienne ( Sant-Etiève in Arpitan) is a city in the central eastern part of France, 60 km (40 miles southwest of Lyon. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Stade Geoffroy-Guichard is a multi-use Stadium in Saint-Étienne, France. ( Gascon: Bordèu) is a port city in southwest France, with one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area at a 2008 estimate This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Stade Chaban-Delmas (known as Parc Lescure until 2001 is a football and Rugby union Stadium in Bordeaux, France. Montpellier ( Occitan Montpelhièr) is a City in the south of France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Stade de la Mosson is a football Stadium in Montpellier, France.

Ticket sales for the Rugby World Cup were broken up into three phases. The first phase was 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]

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. Société Générale ( is one of the main European financial services companies and also maintains extensive activities in others parts of the world Électricité de France ( EDF) is the main Electricity generation and distribution company in France. For the article about the bicycle manufacturer see Cycles Peugeot. SNCF ( Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français) (French National Railway Company is a French public enterprise Heineken International is a Dutch Brewing company, founded in 1864 by Gerard Adriaan Heineken in Amsterdam. Capgemini ( is a major French company, one of the world's largest Information technology, Management consulting, Outsourcing Orange is the brand used by France Telecom for its Mobile network operator and Internet service provider subsidiaries ( is a multinational conglomerate manufacturing company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Emirates Airline (shortened form Emirates) ( Arabic: طيران الإمارات Tayarān al-Imārāt) is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group ^[24] Gilbert will be providing the tournament balls, the Gilbert Synergie match ball will be used throughout the tournament. Gilbert is a sports equipment company They are the official ball suppliers of the Rugby World Cup and the International Federation of Netball Associations. The Gilbert Synergie is a Rugby union match ball produced by Gilbert. 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. WikipediaManual of Style (trademarks, which says "Lowercased trademarks with no internal Coca-Cola is a carbonated Soft drink sold in stores restaurants and Vending machines in more than 200 countries Clifford Chance LLP is the largest Law firm in the world both by number of lawyers and revenue and a component of the UK's " Magic Circle " of leading law The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling. ^[26] The host broadcaster for the event is TVH. ^[27]

Squads

Main article: 2007 Rugby World Cup squads

Each country was allowed a squad of 30 players for the tournament. See also 2007 Rugby World Cup This article lists the official squads for the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France. These squads were to be submitted to the International Rugby Board by a deadline of 14 August 2007. Events 1183 - Taira no Munemori and the Taira clan take the young Emperor Antoku and the three sacred treasures Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[28] Once the squad was submitted a player could be replaced if injured, but would not be allowed to return to the squad.

Match officials

The 2007 Rugby World Cup officials were appointed in late-April 2007, with 12 referees and 13 touch judges being chosen to officiate during the pool stage. In the knockout stage the 12 referees also acted as touch judges, with referee appointments being based on performance from previous matches and selection for neutrality. Referees came from seven different nationalities and three of them made their Rugby World Cup debut. The touch judges came 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 refereed the final. Antony John "Tony" Spreadbury, commonly known as Spreaders (traditionally pronounced with a strong West Country accent (born 28 March 1962 England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The France national rugby union team represents France in Rugby union. The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international Rugby union matches The Stade de France is a Stadium in Saint-Denis, France in the inner suburbs of Paris. Alain Colm Pierre 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, JoelJoël 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

Format

The opening ceremony of the
2007 Rugby World Cup

The competition was contested over 44 days between 20 different nations, over 48 fixtures. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Stuart Dickinson (born 19 July, 1968) is a rugby Referee. He made his international refereeing debut in 1997 in a Rugby World Cup England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Wayne Barnes (born 20 April 1979 in Gloucestershire, England) is an English international Rugby union Referee England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Antony John "Tony" Spreadbury, commonly known as Spreaders (traditionally pronounced with a strong West Country accent (born 28 March 1962 England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Chris White (born 16 July, 1963) is an English international rugby Referee. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Joël Jutge (born 5 April 1966) is a French international Rugby union Referee. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world David Alan Lewis (born 1 June 1964 in Cork, Ireland) is an Irish former Cricketer and current Rugby Union referee Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Alain Colm Pierre Rolland (born 22 August 1966 in Dublin) is a former Irish Rugby union footballer and current international referee New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Paul Gerard Honiss (born 18 June 1963) is a New Zealander, currently residing in Hamilton and is a retired Rugby union Referee New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Steve Walsh (born 28 March 1972) is a professional Rugby union referee from New Zealand. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Marius Jonker (born 19 June 1969 in Kimberley Northern Cape) is a South African international Rugby union Referee, as well The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Jonathan Kaplan (born 7 November 1966 in Durban, South Africa) is a full-time international Rugby union Referee. Nigel Owens (born 18 June 1971 in Mynyddcerrig near Llanelli, Wales) is a Welsh international Rugby union Referee For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Christophe Berdos (born 17 April 1970) is a full-time international Rugby union Referee with the French Rugby Federation and is one Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Kelvin Deaker (born 19 October 1965) is a New Zealand Rugby union international referee and a member of the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The tournament began on 7 September at the Stade de France with a match between the host nation, France, and Argentina. Events 1251 BC - A Solar eclipse on this date might mark the birth of legendary Heracles at Thebes Greece. The Stade de France is a Stadium in Saint-Denis, France in the inner suburbs of Paris. The tournament culminated at the same venue on 20 October for the Final between England and South Africa. Events 1740 - Maria Theresa takes the throne of Austria. France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony

Pool stage

The 20 nations were split up into four pools, designated A through to D, each consisting of five teams. Each pool had 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 therefore played four matches during the pool stage.

Classification within each pool was 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, were awarded in each of the following instances (one match point for each event):

• a team scores four or more tries (regardless of the match result);
• a team loses by seven points (a converted try) or fewer. The Rugby union bonus points system is a method of deciding table points from a Rugby union match A try is the major way of scoring points in Rugby league and Rugby union. ^[31]

At the end of the pool stage, teams were ranked from first to fifth based on cumulative match points, with the top two nations proceeding to the quarter-finals.

If at the completion of the pool phase two or more Teams were level on Match points, then the following criteria would have been used in the following order until one of the Teams could 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 adopted a knockout format comprising eight fixtures: four quarter-finals, two semi-finals, a bronze medal match, and the final. The third place playoff (sometimes called the bronze medal game or consolation game) is a single match that is included in many Sporting Knockout tournaments The winner and runner-up from each of the four pools advanced to the quarter-finals. Pool winners were drawn against opposite pool runners-up in the quarter-finals, e. g. the winner of Pool A faced the runner up of Pool B, and the winner of Pool B faced the runner-up of Pool A.

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. Aggregated Extra Time (AET, commonly known as extra time is an additional period played in some sports codes if the score is tied at the end of normal time 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 If the contest is unresolved after a total 110 minutes of open play, the winner will be determined by a placekicking competition. ^[31]

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. 2011 Rugby World Cup qualifying began at the 2007 tournament in France where the first 3 teams in each pool earned a place in the finals of the 2011 The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby union world cup and was won by England. The 2011 Rugby World Cup will be the seventh staging of the tournament. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island

Pool stage

All times French time (UTC+2)

Pool A

Main article: 2007 Rugby World Cup - Pool A

Team Pld W D L TF PF PA +/- BP Pts  South Africa 4 4 0 0 24 189 47 +142 3 19  England 4 3 0 1 11 108 88 +20 2 14  Tonga 4 2 0 2 9 89 96 -7 1 9  Samoa 4 1 0 3 5 69 143 -74 1 5  United States 4 0 0 4 7 61 142 -81 1 1

ENG SAM RSA TGA USA England – 44 – 22 0 – 36 36 – 20 28 – 10 Samoa – – 7 – 59 15 – 19 25 – 21 South Africa – – – 30 – 25 64 – 15 Tonga – – – – 25 – 15 United States – – – – –

Pool B

Main article: 2007 Rugby World Cup - Pool B

Team Pld W D L TF PF PA +/- BP Pts  Australia 4 4 0 0 30 215 41 +174 4 20  Fiji 4 3 0 1 14 114 136 -22 3 15  Wales 4 2 0 2 23 168 105 +63 4 12  Japan 4 0 1 3 7 64 210 -146 1 3  Canada 4 0 1 3 6 51 120 -69 0 2

AUS CAN FJI JPN WAL Australia – 37 – 6 55 – 12 91 – 3 32 – 20 Canada – – 16 – 29 12 – 12 17 – 42 Fiji – – – 35 – 31 38 – 34 Japan – – – – 18 – 72 Wales – – – – –

Pool C

Main article: 2007 Rugby World Cup - Pool C

Team Pld W D L TF PF PA +/- BP Pts  New Zealand 4 4 0 0 46 309 35 +274 4 20  Scotland 4 3 0 1 14 116 66 +50 2 14  Italy 4 2 0 2 8 85 117 -32 1 9  Romania 4 1 0 3 5 40 161 -121 1 5  Portugal 4 0 0 4 4 38 209 -171 1 1

ITA NZL POR ROM SCO Italy – 14 – 76 31 – 5 24 – 18 16 – 18 New Zealand – – 108 – 13 85 – 8 40 – 0 Portugal – – – 10 – 14 10 – 56 Romania – – – – 0 – 42 Scotland – – – – –

Pool D

Main article: 2007 Rugby World Cup - Pool D

Team Pld W D L TF PF PA +/- BP Pts  Argentina 4 4 0 0 16 143 33 +110 2 18  France 4 3 0 1 24 188 37 +151 3 15  Ireland 4 2 0 2 9 64 82 -18 1 9  Georgia 4 1 0 3 5 50 111 -61 1 5  Namibia 4 0 0 4 3 30 212 -182 0 0

ARG FRA GEO IRE NAM Argentina – 17 – 12 33 – 3 30 – 15 63 – 3 France – – 64 – 7 25 – 3 87 – 10 Georgia – – – 10 – 14 30 – 0 Ireland – – – – 32 – 17 Namibia – – – – –

Knockout stage

Main article: 2007 Rugby World Cup knockout stage

	Quarter finals				Semi finals				Final
	October 6 – Stade Vélodrome, Marseille
	Australia	10
					October 13 – Stade de France, St-Denis
	England	12
					England	14
	October 6 – Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
					France	9
	New Zealand	18
									October 20 – Stade de France, St-Denis
	France	20
									England	6
	October 7 – Stade Vélodrome, Marseille
									South Africa	15
	South Africa	37
					October 14 – Stade de France, St-Denis
	Fiji	20
					South Africa	37			Bronze Final
	October 7 – Stade de France, St-Denis
					Argentina	13
	Argentina	19							France	10
	Scotland	13							Argentina	34
									October 19 – Parc des Princes, Paris

Quarter-finals

2007-10-06 15:00
	Australia	10 – 12	England	Stade Vélodrome, Marseille Attendance: 59,102 Referee: Alain Rolland
	Try: Tuqiri 33' c Con: Mortlock (1/1) Pen: Mortlock (1/4) 6'	(Report)	Pen: Wilkinson (4/7) 22', 25', 51', 59'

2007-10-06 21:00
	New Zealand	18 – 20	France	Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 71,669 Referee: Wayne Barnes
	Tries: McAlister 17' c So'oialo 63' m Con: Carter (1/1) Pen: Carter (2/2) 14', 31'	(Report)	Tries: Dusautoir 54' c Jauzion 69' c Con: Beauxis (1/1) Élissalde (1/1) Pen: Beauxis (2/3) 40+', 46'

2007-10-07 15:00
	South Africa	37 – 20	Fiji	Stade Vélodrome, Marseille Attendance: 55,943 Referee: Alan Lewis
	Tries: Fourie 13' m Smit 35' m Pietersen 51' c Smith 70' c James 80' c Con: Montgomery (3/5) Pen: Steyn (1/1) 8' Montgomery (1/2) 63'	(Report)	Tries: Delasau 57' c Bobo 59' c Con: Bai (2/2) Pen: Bai (2/2) 26', 44'

2007-10-07 21:00
	Argentina	19 – 13	Scotland	Stade de France, Saint-Denis Attendance: 76,866 Referee: Joël Jutge
	Try: Longo Elía 33' c Con: F. Contepomi (1/1) Pen: F. Contepomi (3/4) 23', 29', 43' Drop: Hernández (1/4) 54'	(Report)	Try: Cusiter 63' c Con: Paterson (1/1) Pen: Parks (1/2) 16' Paterson (1/1) 38'

Semi-finals

2007-10-13 21:00
	England	14 – 9	France	Stade de France, Saint-Denis Attendance: 80,283 Referee: Jonathan Kaplan
	Try: Lewsey 2' m Pen: Wilkinson (2/3) 47', 75' Drop: Wilkinson (1/4) 78'	(Report)	Pen: Beauxis (3/3) 8', 18', 44'

2007-10-14 21:00
	South Africa	37 – 13	Argentina	Stade de France, Saint-Denis Attendance: 77,055 Referee: Steve Walsh
	Tries: du Preez 7' c Habana (2) 32' c, 76' c Rossouw 40' c Con: Montgomery (4/4) Pen: Montgomery (3/3) 17', 71', 75'	(Report)	Try: M. Contepomi 45' c Con: F. Contepomi (1/1) Pen: F. Contepomi (2/4) 15', 30'

Bronze final

2007-10-19 21:00
	France	10 – 34	Argentina	Parc des Princes, Paris Attendance: 45,958 Referee: Paul Honiss
	Try: Poitrenaud 69' c Con: Beauxis (1/1) Pen: Élissalde (1/1) 18'	(Report)	Tries: F. Contepomi (2) 28' c, 77' c Hasan Jalil 32' c Martín Aramburú 53' m Corleto 65' m Con: F. Contepomi (3/5) Pen: F. Contepomi (1/1) 21'

Final

Main article: 2007 Rugby World Cup Final

2007-10-20 21:00
	England	6 – 15	South Africa	Stade de France, Saint-Denis Attendance: 80,430 Referee: Alain Rolland
	Pen: Wilkinson (2/2) 13', 44'	(Report)	Pen: Montgomery (4/4) 7', 16', 40', 51' Steyn (1/2) 62'

2007 Rugby World Cup Champions
South Africa Second title

Citing controversy

There has been some controversy over the post match citings by IRB Citing Commissioners with all players not being cited for seemingly similar offences or receiving lengthy bans when other players are only sin binned (yellow carded). Jerry Collins (born 4 November 1980 in Apia, Samoa) is a New Zealand Rugby union footballer who formerly played for the ^[35][36][37]

Examples of inconsistencies include the citing of Schalk Burger against Samoa in the same game Brian Lima executed what seemed to be a late tackle. Schalk ("Schalla" Burger Jr (born 13 April 1983 in Port Elizabeth) is a South African Rugby union player Brian Lima (born 25 January 1972 in Apia, Samoa) is a Samoan Rugby union footballer Lima wasn't cited in that instance, but later received a three week ban following an almost identical tackle on England's Jonny Wilkinson. Jonathan Peter Wilkinson OBE (born 25 May 1979 in Frimley, Surrey) is an English Rugby union player and member of the England national team ^[34]

England's Phil Vickery received a two week ban for tripping an American player, while Christophe Dominici only received a yellow card for the same offence in the 2003 World Cup. Phil Vickery may be Phil Vickery (rugby player - the England rugby player Phil Vickery (chef - the celebrity chef married to television Christophe Dominici (born May 20, 1972) is a French Rugby union footballer ^[34] Other examples of players being sin binned, but not receiving further punishment include Australia's Drew Mitchell for his spear tackle on a Welsh player and New Zealand prop Carl Hayman for punching (a serious offence) an Italian opponent. Drew Allan Mitchell (born 26 March 1984 is an Australian Rugby union player Carl Hayman (born 14 November 1979 in Opunake, New Zealand) is an international Rugby union footballer who has played at tighthead ^[38][37]

List of citings

Ban (weeks)	Player	Nation	Opponent	Offence
7	Otar Eloshvili	Georgia	France	spear tackle [1]
5	Paul Emerick	United States	England	spear tackle [2]
4	Juan Severino Somoza	Portugal	Scotland	head-butting [3]
3	Brian Lima	Samoa	England	high tackle [4]
2	Schalk Burger	South Africa	Samoa	dangerous play [5] [6]
2	Phil Vickery	England	United States	tripping [7]
2	Mirco Bergamasco	Italy	Scotland	tripping [8]
1	Hale T Pole	Tonga	Samoa	striking [9]
1	Jacques Nieuwenhuis	Namibia	France	high tackle [10]
1	Alfie Vaeluaga	Samoa	South Africa	high tackle [11]
1	Seremaia Bai	Fiji	South Africa	dangerous tackle [12]
cleared	Francois Steyn	South Africa	Tonga	foul play [13]
cleared	Sione Lauaki	New Zealand	Romania	dangerous tackle [14] [15]

Statistics

Teams

Points	Team	Matches	Tries	Con	Pen	Drop
327	New Zealand	5	48	36	5	0	2	0
278	South Africa	7	33	25	21	0	3	0
227	France	7	27	19	18	0	2	0
225	Australia	5	31	20	8	2	2	0
209	Argentina	7	23	14	18	4	3	0
168	Wales	4	23	16	7	0	0	0
140	England	7	12	7	17	5	1	0
134	Fiji	5	16	12	10	0	3	0
129	Scotland	5	15	15	8	0	1	0
89	Tonga	4	9	7	10	0	3	1
85	Italy	4	8	6	11	0	3	0
69	Samoa	4	5	4	12	0	1	0
64	Ireland	4	9	5	2	1	2	0
64	Japan	4	7	4	7	0	0	0
61	United States	4	7	4	6	0	4	0
51	Canada	4	6	3	5	0	1	0
50	Georgia	4	5	5	5	0	2	0
40	Romania	4	5	3	3	0	1	0
38	Portugal	4	4	3	3	1	1	0
30	Namibia	4	3	3	2	1	0	1

Source: RugbyWorldCup.com, last updated 20 October. The Georgia national rugby union team represents the former Soviet Caucasian republic of Georgia in Rugby union. A spear tackle is a dangerous tackle in Rugby union, Rugby league and Australian rules football whereby a player is picked up by a tackler on Paul Emerick (born January 24, 1980) is a USA international rugby player For the American Rugby league team see United States national rugby league team. Juan Severino Somoza (born 16 September 1981) is an Argentine-born Portuguese rugby union footballer The Portugal national rugby union team, nicknamed "Os Lobos" Portuguese for "the wolves" is a third tier Rugby union side representing Portugal Brian Lima (born 25 January 1972 in Apia, Samoa) is a Samoan Rugby union footballer The national Rugby union team of Samoa is called Manu Samoa (the name of a famous Samoan chief some 10 generations ago Schalk ("Schalla" Burger Jr (born 13 April 1983 in Port Elizabeth) is a South African Rugby union player The South Africa national Rugby union team (commonly referred to as the Springboks in English Springbokke in Afrikaans and Amabokoboko Philip John Vickery MBE (born 14 March 1976) is an English rugby union footballer who plays prop for Wasps and England The England national rugby union team represents England in Rugby union. Mirco Bergamasco (born 23 February 1983) is an Italian Rugby union footballer For the rugby sevens side see Italian national rugby union team (sevens The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Tevita Hale Nai Tu'uhoko T-Pole, often known simply as Hale T-Pole or Hale T Pole, (born 30 April 1979 in Longolongo, Tonga The Tonga national rugby union team is nicknamed Ikale Tahi (Sea Eagles. Jacques Nieuwenhuis (born 23 March 1980 in Brakpan, South Africa) is a Rugby union player who represents at international level The Namibian rugby union team, nicknamed the Welwitschias or Biltongboere, represents Namibia at Rugby union. Alfie To'oala Vaeluaga (born 30 January 1981) is a professional Rugby union player for Bristol Rugby. The national Rugby union team of Samoa is called Manu Samoa (the name of a famous Samoan chief some 10 generations ago Seremaia Baikeinuku (born 4 January, 1979) is a Fijian Rugby union footballer The Fiji National rugby union team is one of the strongest national rugby union teams of the world and the third from Oceania, even still as a second tier nation Francois Steyn (born 14 May 1987) is a South African Rugby union player who plays for his national team; the Natal Sharks The South Africa national Rugby union team (commonly referred to as the Springboks in English Springbokke in Afrikaans and Amabokoboko Sione Tuitupu Lauaki (born 22 June, 1981 in Tonga) is a New Zealand Rugby union footballer The All Blacks are New Zealand's national team in Rugby union, the country's National sport. The All Blacks are New Zealand's national team in Rugby union, the country's National sport. The South Africa national Rugby union team (commonly referred to as the Springboks in English Springbokke in Afrikaans and Amabokoboko The France national rugby union team represents France in Rugby union. The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in Rugby union. The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international Rugby union matches The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international The England national rugby union team represents England in Rugby union. The Fiji National rugby union team is one of the strongest national rugby union teams of the world and the third from Oceania, even still as a second tier nation The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international Rugby union. The Tonga national rugby union team is nicknamed Ikale Tahi (Sea Eagles. For the rugby sevens side see Italian national rugby union team (sevens The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of The national Rugby union team of Samoa is called Manu Samoa (the name of a famous Samoan chief some 10 generations ago The Ireland rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in Rugby union, which is a popular sport throughout both the Republic of Ireland and For the Japanese Rugby League team see Japan national rugby league team. For the American Rugby league team see United States national rugby league team. For the Canadian Rugby league team see Canada national rugby league team. The Georgia national rugby union team represents the former Soviet Caucasian republic of Georgia in Rugby union. The Romania national rugby union team, nicknamed The Oaks ( Stejarii) have long been one of the stronger European teams outside of the Six Nations The Portugal national rugby union team, nicknamed "Os Lobos" Portuguese for "the wolves" is a third tier Rugby union side representing Portugal The Namibian rugby union team, nicknamed the Welwitschias or Biltongboere, represents Namibia at Rugby union. Events 1740 - Maria Theresa takes the throne of Austria. France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony

Individual records

Top point scorers

Note: ranked according to points then number of appearances

Points	Name	Team	Pos	Apps	Tries	Con	Pen	Drop
1050 105	Percy Montgomery	South Africa	FB	7	2	22	17	0
910 91	Felipe Contepomi	Argentina	CE	7	3	11	18	0
670 67	Jonny Wilkinson	England	FH	5	0	5	14	5
500 50	Nick Evans	New Zealand	FH/FB	4	2	20	0	0
470 47	Jean-Baptiste Élissalde	France	SH	7	1	12	6	0
460 46	Chris Paterson	Scotland	WG/FH	5	1	10	7	0
440 44	Pierre Hola	Tonga	FH	4	0	7	10	0
430 43	Lionel Beauxis	France	FH	6	1	7	8	0
420 42	Nicky Little	Fiji	FH	3	0	9	8	0
402 40	Dan Carter	New Zealand	FH	3	1	10	5	0
401 40	Matt Giteau	Australia	CE	4	3	8	3	0
400 40	Bryan Habana	South Africa	WG	7	8	0	0	0

Key: Pos = position; Apps = appearances; Con = conversions; Pen = penalties; Drop = drop goals

Source: RugbyWorldCup.com, last updated 20 October. Percival Colin "Percy" Montgomery (born 15 March 1974 in Walvis Bay, South Africa, now Namibia) is a South African The South Africa national Rugby union team (commonly referred to as the Springboks in English Springbokke in Afrikaans and Amabokoboko A Rugby union team is made up of 15 players eight forwards numbered from 1 to 8 and seven backs numbered from 9 to 15 Dr Felipe Contepomi (born August 20 1977 in Buenos Aires) is an Argentine Rugby union footballer The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international Rugby union matches A Rugby union team is made up of 15 players eight forwards numbered from 1 to 8 and seven backs numbered from 9 to 15 Jonathan Peter Wilkinson OBE (born 25 May 1979 in Frimley, Surrey) is an English Rugby union player and member of the England national team The England national rugby union team represents England in Rugby union. A Rugby union team is made up of 15 players eight forwards numbered from 1 to 8 and seven backs numbered from 9 to 15 Nicholas John "Nick" Evans (born 14 August 1980 in Auckland, New Zealand) is a New Zealand Rugby union footballer The All Blacks are New Zealand's national team in Rugby union, the country's National sport. A Rugby union team is made up of 15 players eight forwards numbered from 1 to 8 and seven backs numbered from 9 to 15 A Rugby union team is made up of 15 players eight forwards numbered from 1 to 8 and seven backs numbered from 9 to 15 Jean-Baptiste Élissalde (born 23 November, 1977 in La Rochelle, France) is a French Rugby union footballer The France national rugby union team represents France in Rugby union. A Rugby union team is made up of 15 players eight forwards numbered from 1 to 8 and seven backs numbered from 9 to 15 Chris Paterson (born March 30 1978 in Edinburgh) is a Scottish Rugby union footballer The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international Rugby union. A Rugby union team is made up of 15 players eight forwards numbered from 1 to 8 and seven backs numbered from 9 to 15 A Rugby union team is made up of 15 players eight forwards numbered from 1 to 8 and seven backs numbered from 9 to 15 Pierre Hola (born 9 June, 1978) is a Tongan Rugby union footballer The Tonga national rugby union team is nicknamed Ikale Tahi (Sea Eagles. A Rugby union team is made up of 15 players eight forwards numbered from 1 to 8 and seven backs numbered from 9 to 15 Lionel Beauxis (ljɔnɛl boksis (born 24 October 1985) is a French Rugby union player The France national rugby union team represents France in Rugby union. A Rugby union team is made up of 15 players eight forwards numbered from 1 to 8 and seven backs numbered from 9 to 15 Nicky Little (born 13 September, 1976) is a Rugby union footballer The Fiji National rugby union team is one of the strongest national rugby union teams of the world and the third from Oceania, even still as a second tier nation A Rugby union team is made up of 15 players eight forwards numbered from 1 to 8 and seven backs numbered from 9 to 15 Daniel William "Dan" Carter (born 5 March 1982 in Southbridge, near Christchurch, New Zealand is a New Zealand Rugby union footballer The All Blacks are New Zealand's national team in Rugby union, the country's National sport. A Rugby union team is made up of 15 players eight forwards numbered from 1 to 8 and seven backs numbered from 9 to 15 Matt Giteau (born on 29 September 1982 in Sydney Australia) is an Australian Rugby union footballer playing for the Western Force. The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in Rugby union. A Rugby union team is made up of 15 players eight forwards numbered from 1 to 8 and seven backs numbered from 9 to 15 Bryan Gary Habana (born he played outside centre and scrumhalf in provincial and age group rugby but once he was moved to the wing a vast improvement was seen The South Africa national Rugby union team (commonly referred to as the Springboks in English Springbokke in Afrikaans and Amabokoboko A Rugby union team is made up of 15 players eight forwards numbered from 1 to 8 and seven backs numbered from 9 to 15 Events 1740 - Maria Theresa takes the throne of Austria. France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony

Top try scorers

Rank	Name	Team	Pos	Apps	Tries
1	Bryan Habana	South Africa	WG	7	8
2	Drew Mitchell	Australia	WG	5	7
3	Doug Howlett	New Zealand	WG	3	6
3	Shane Williams	Wales	WG	4	6
5	Joe Rokocoko	New Zealand	WG	3	5
5	Vincent Clerc	France	WG	5	5
5	Chris Latham	Australia	FB	5	5
8	Rory Lamont	Scotland	FB	4	4
8	Sitiveni Sivivatu	New Zealand	WG	4	4
8	Jaque Fourie	South Africa	CE	6	4
8	Paul Sackey	England	WG	6	4
8	JP Pietersen	South Africa	WG	7	4
8	Juan Smith	South Africa	FL	7	4

Key: Pos = position; Apps = appearances

See also

• 2007 Rugby World Cup warm-up tests

References

External links

• France2007 Official website of the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
• ITV Rugby World Cup - Official TV Broadcast website for the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
• IRB.com International Rugby Board official site. The International Rugby Board (IRB is the world governing and law-making body for the sport of Rugby union, and previously for Rugby football.
• Planet Rugby News