query: where was the first rugby union world cup held

pos: History of the Rugby World Cup France three times each, while New Zealand have knocked out Scotland three times. History of the Rugby World Cup The first Rugby World Cup was held in 1987, hosted by Australia and New Zealand who pushed for the tournament to be approved. Since the first tournament, 7 others have been held at four-year intervals. The 2015 tournament was won by New Zealand, the cup was held from 19 September 2015 till 31 October 2015. It was held in England and Wales. Apart from regular test matches and touring sides, tournaments that resembled a world cup format – albeit not of

pos: Comparison of rugby league and rugby union is a core event at both the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. The major annual international competition in rugby league is the Four Nations, first played in 1999. It originally involved Britain, Australia and New Zealand before expanding to include a fourth invited nation in 2009. Rugby league introduced its World Cup in 1954 and it has been held intermittently since, in various formats. Rugby union's first World Cup was held in 1987 and both are contested every four years. Comparison of rugby league and rugby union A comparison of rugby league and rugby union is possible because of

pos: Rugby union New Zealand Army team. During the Second World War no international matches were played by most countries, though Italy, Germany and Romania played a limited number of games, and Cambridge and Oxford continued their annual University Match. The first officially sanctioned international rugby sevens tournament took place in 1973 at Murrayfield, one of Scotland's biggest stadiums, as part of the Scottish Rugby Union centenary celebrations. In 1987 the first Rugby World Cup was held in Australia and New Zealand, and the inaugural winners were New Zealand. The first World Cup Sevens tournament was held at Murrayfield in 1993. Rugby Sevens

pos: Rugby World Cup hosts that the World Cup has to be held in one of our senior core markets on a regular basis . . . However, the commercial success of the tournament also means we can now consider placing the tournament in new developing markets to assist the game's strategic growth." The first Rugby World Cup was hosted by Australia and New Zealand after the Australian Rugby Union and the New Zealand Rugby Union each independently wrote to the International Rugby Board seeking to conduct a World Cup tournament. The final was played in Auckland, New Zealand at Eden Park and won by

pos: Ireland at the Rugby World Cup Ireland at the Rugby World Cup The Ireland national rugby union team have played all eight Rugby World Cup tournaments. They have played in the quarter-finals at all but two tournaments, but have yet to progress to the semi-finals. They have finished top of their pool twice. Ireland has never played either South Africa or England in a World Cup match. Ireland has competed at every Rugby World Cup since the tournament was first held in Australia and New Zealand in 1987. After a loss to Wales, Ireland finished second in their pool in 1987 but were then knocked out

pos: Women's Rugby League World Cup Women's Rugby League World Cup The Women's Rugby League World Cup is an international Rugby league tournament for women to determine the best Rugby league playing nation in the world. It was first held in 2000 in Great Britain coinciding with the men's Rugby League World Cup. In 2008, it was contested in Australia as part of the Festival of World Cups. Women's Rugby League had been played in both Oceania and the United Kingdom for several years but it was not until 1985 in Britain and 1993 in Australia and New Zealand where female only organizations and governing bodies

neg: Bulgaria national rugby union team Bulgaria national rugby union team The Bulgaria national rugby union team represents Bulgaria at rugby union. They are governed by the Bulgarian Rugby Federation, and have yet to qualify for the Rugby World Cup. Bulgaria played their first rugby international in 1963, where they met Romania. They were defeated by the Romanians, 70-3. There was no qualifying tournament held for the first Rugby World Cup, and Bulgaria did not attempt to qualify for the tournament until the Welsh hosted the 1999 Rugby World Cup. They competed in Pool 2 of Round A, but did not advance to the next stage.

neg: Rugby union oldest formally organised national governing body for women's rugby. This was replaced in 1994 by the Rugby Football Union for Women (RFUW) in England with each of the other Home Nations governing their own countries. The premier international competition in rugby union for women is the Women's Rugby World Cup, first held in 1991. From 1994 through 2014, it was held every four years. Following the 2014 event, a new four-year cycle was instituted, with the Women's World Cup held in the middle year of the men's World Cup cycle. The new Women's World Cup cycle began in 2017, with

neg: Angus Lloyd (rugby union) Angus Lloyd (rugby union) Angus Lloyd (born 2 October 1992) is an Irish rugby union player for Pro14 and European Rugby Champions Cup side Ulster. He plays as a scrum-half. Lloyd was educated at Blackrock College, where he played on the Schools Senior Cup team and then went to Dublin University, where he played on the Universities senior side, winning the colours game against UCD for the first time in his final year in 2015–16. He also played for Dublin University in the inaugural World Universities Cup held in Cambridge in 2015, where Trinity finished as runners-up. Lloyd joined Ulster

neg: Women's Rugby World Cup Women's Rugby World Cup The Women's Rugby World Cup is the premier international competition in rugby union for women. The tournament is organised by the sport's governing body, World Rugby. The championships are currently held every four years; the event was most recently held in Ireland in 2017. World Rugby has reset the tournament on a new four-year cycle to avoid conflict with the Olympics and Women's World Cup Sevens; World Cups will thus be held every four years after 2017. The first Women's Rugby World Cup was held in 1991 and won by the United States. The 1991 and

neg: Australia national rugby union team 1987. Australia was the first nation to win two World Cups, with victories in 1991 and 1999. They have progressed to four Rugby Union World Cup finals, a record jointly held with New Zealand. In 1987, Australia co-hosted the inaugural Rugby World Cup with New Zealand. They were grouped with England, the United States and Japan in Pool A. In their first ever World Cup match, Australia defeated England 19–6 at Concord Oval in Sydney then went on to beat their other pool opponents to finish the top of their group and advance to the quarter finals where they defeated

neg: 1993 Rugby World Cup Sevens qualifying Sicilians scored. Although the Soviet Union had originally been an invited team, it had subsequently collapsed and the former constituent nations, demanded their own qualifying event. This was held in Moscow where the Latvia team, in their first ever sporting event, overcame Ukraine and Kazakhstan to reach the final where they beat Russia to claim the last place in Edinburgh. 1993 Rugby World Cup Sevens qualifying Of the twenty-four nations involved in 1993 Rugby World Cup Sevens, nineteen were invited and five had to go through pre-tournament 1993 Rugby World Cup Sevens qualifying. Four of the qualification places were won

neg: 1999 Rugby World Cup 1999 Rugby World Cup The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial international rugby union championship. It was principally hosted by Wales, and was won by Australia. This was the first Rugby World Cup to be held in the sport's professional era. Although the majority of matches were played outside Wales (shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland) the opening ceremony, the first match and the final were held in Cardiff. Four automatic qualification places were available for the 1999 tournament; Wales qualified automatically as hosts, and the other three places went to the top

neg: 1993 Rugby World Cup Sevens 1993 Rugby World Cup Sevens The 1993 Rugby World Cup Sevens was held at Murrayfield in Edinburgh, Scotland, in April 1993. This tournament was the inaugural Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament. The International Rugby Board invited the established rugby union nations but also were keen to involve emerging nations in the event, recognising the fact that Sevens was providing the bridge between the developed rugby nations and those whose rugby union traditions were less well established. England defeated Australia 21–17 to become the first team to win the Melrose Cup. Prior to 1993, Rugby Sevens had already built up a

neg: Rugby union in Hong Kong the IRB Sevens World Series in rugby union. The tournament was set up in 1976, and attracted clubs from Asia and beyond, from Indonesia, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, Japan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Fiji for the first tournament alone. It was held at the Hong Kong Football Club in Happy Valley. After an initial proposal was refused by the Rugby Football Union in England, the HKRFU changed focus and sent out invitations to Asian and Pacific sides. The Rugby World Cup Sevens have been held twice in Hong Kong - see 1997 Rugby World Cup Sevens and 2005 Rugby

neg: 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup The 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup was the sixth edition of the Women's Rugby World Cup and was held in England. The International Rugby Board Executive Committee selected the host union following a recommendation from the Rugby World Cup Limited board after considering bids from the Rugby Football Union and the German Rugby Union – it had been England's third successive bid after being rejected in 2002 and 2006. The tournament was again being organised by the International Rugby Board (IRB) as opposed to the host union, and included five matches for all teams played

neg: Rugby union future competitions every four years thereafter. The most important tournament in rugby union is the Rugby World Cup, a men's tournament that has taken place every four years since 1987 among national rugby union teams. New Zealand has won the Rugby World Cup the most (3 times) and is the current cup holder, winning the 2015 Rugby World Cup held at Twickenham, beating Australia in the final. England (2003) were the first team from the Northern Hemisphere to win, the other champions being New Zealand (1987, 2011 and 2015), Australia (1991 and 1999), and South Africa (1995 and 2007). The

neg: Rugby union in Japan every Rugby World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1987. They will host the tournament for the first time in the 2019 Rugby World Cup. With their victory over South Africa in the 2015 they won their second-ever game in the Rugby World Cup. They went on to become the first team ever to win three pool matches in a single World Cup but still fail to advance to the knockout stage. The Pacific Nations Cup is an international rugby union competition held between six Pacific rim sides; Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Tonga, Australia A and New Zealand Māori. The Asian

neg: Bermuda national rugby union team Bermuda national rugby union team The Bermuda national rugby union team represents Bermuda in the sport of rugby union. Bermuda have thus far not played in a Rugby World Cup, but have participated in qualifying tournaments. Bermuda first played in qualifying tournaments for a Rugby World Cup in the Americas tournaments for the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa. Bermuda were eliminated from North-Round 1, losing 3 points to 60 to the United States. Bermuda attempted to qualify for the 1999 Rugby World Cup in Wales as well, participating in Group 2 of Round 1 Americas qualifying, where they

neg: Rugby football games between younger players. Much larger versions of traditional balls are also available for purchase, but these are mainly for their novelty attraction. The Rugby World Cup, which was first held in New Zealand and Australia in 1987, occurs every four years. It is an international tournament organized by World Rugby. The event is played in the union format and features the top 20 teams from around the world. The current world champions are New Zealand, who won the 2015 Rugby World Cup, which was played in England. The Rugby League World Cup was the first World Cup of either

neg: 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup "This article is about the rugby union competition, for the rugby league competition see the 2017 Women's Rugby League World Cup." The 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup was the eighth edition of the Women's Rugby World Cup and was held in Ireland in August 2017. New Zealand became the 2017 champions by beating England 41–32 in the final, held on 26 August. Matches were held in Dublin and Belfast. The pool stages were held at University College Dublin with the semi finals and finals held at Queen's University and Kingspan Stadium in Belfast. The tournament

neg: Matías Corral old friends from the national team by being part of the Pumas Classics Team in the World Cup in Bermuda in 2010. Matías Corral Matías Corral (born August 10, 1968) is a former Argentine rugby union player. He played as a prop. He played in First Division for the San Isidro Club (SIC ) between 1988 and 1995. World champion with Los Pumitas under-19, in the World Cup 1987 and Puma from 1992 until his retirement after the 1995 Rugby World Cup, held in South Africa where he was honored as the best left prop of the world Cup that

neg: 2015 World Rugby Nations Cup 2015 World Rugby Nations Cup The 2015 World Rugby Nations Cup was the tenth edition of the international rugby union tournament, a competition created by the World Rugby. For the ninth time in a row, it was held at the Stadionul Naţional de Rugby in Bucharest, Romania, and was played between 12 and 21 June, running alongside 2015 World Rugby Tbilisi Cup in Georgia. , the hosts, were joined by ENC side and Argentina A side, Argentina Jaguars, while returned for the first time since 2011, as they and Romania prepare to participate in the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Hosts

neg: 2015 Rugby World Cup 2015 Rugby World Cup The 2015 Rugby World Cup was the eighth Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial rugby union world championship. The tournament was hosted by England from 18 September to 31 October. Of the 20 countries competing in the World Cup in 2011, there was only one change: Uruguay replaced Russia. This was the first World Cup with no new teams to the tournament. Reigning champions New Zealand won the cup and defended their title by defeating Australia in the final 34–17; South Africa defeated Argentina to take third place. This was the first Rugby World Cup where no

neg: Ray Nelson (rugby union) World Cups combined, and held the U.S. scoring record in World Cups until it was broken by Mike Hercus in 2003. Ray Nelson (rugby union) Ray Nelson (born June 11, 1961 in Glasgow, Scotland) is a former rugby union player who played fullback for the United States national rugby union team. Nelson played in 25 test matches for the United States from 1983 to 1991, starting in 23. Nelson represented the U.S. at both the 1987 and 1991 Rugby World Cup. Nelson's 13 points and perfect 4-for-4 goalkicking in a 1987 World Cup match gave the United States its first

neg: 2015–16 European Rugby Champions Cup follows: The winners of the semi-finals contested the final, at Grand Stade de Lyon, on 14 May 2016. 2015–16 European Rugby Champions Cup The 2015–16 European Rugby Champions Cup was the second European Rugby Champions Cup championship (21st overall), the annual rugby union club competition for teams from the top six nations in European rugby. The European Rugby Champions Cup replaced the Heineken Cup, which was Europe's top-tier competition for rugby clubs for the first nineteen years of professional European rugby union. As a result of the 2015 Rugby World Cup being held in England, the tournament started slightly later

neg: 2015–16 European Rugby Champions Cup 2015–16 European Rugby Champions Cup The 2015–16 European Rugby Champions Cup was the second European Rugby Champions Cup championship (21st overall), the annual rugby union club competition for teams from the top six nations in European rugby. The European Rugby Champions Cup replaced the Heineken Cup, which was Europe's top-tier competition for rugby clubs for the first nineteen years of professional European rugby union. As a result of the 2015 Rugby World Cup being held in England, the tournament started slightly later than in previous seasons, with the opening round taking place on the weekend of 13/14/15 November 2015. The

neg: Rugby union in Japan held in Japan, the first time in Asia. In the 1995 World Cup, Japan suffered a 145-17 loss to New Zealand, the second worst in the history of the tournament, at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein. At the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Japan beat South Africa 34–32 in their opening Pool B match, producing arguably the biggest shock in the history of professional rugby union. In the 2016 Super Rugby, the Sunwolves were defeated 92-17 by the Cheetahs, again at Bloemfontein. Rugby union in Japan is governed by the Japan Rugby Football Union. The Japan Rugby Football Union was

neg: World Rugby Tbilisi Cup and two teams that regularly take part in the IRB Nations Cup, Argentina Jaguars and Emerging Italy. In 2015, Emerging Ireland, Emerging Italy and Uruguay returned to the tournament, with Emerging Ireland claiming the title for the first ever time. The teams that participated in the Tbilisi Cup and their finishing positions are as follows: Updated 21 June 2015 after 2015 World Rugby Tbilisi Cup. World Rugby Tbilisi Cup The World Rugby Tbilisi Cup is a rugby union competition that was first held in 2013 at Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi with the hosts joined by , who regularly take part

neg: 2010 June rugby union tests FIFA regulations call for World Cup venues to be handed over to FIFA 15 days before the World Cup starts. FIFA also prohibits any other major sporting events from being held in host cities from 7 days before the opening of the World Cup until 7 days after its end. An agreement was reached between the South African Rugby Union and the local World Cup organising committee to allow the match against France to be held at SARU's intended venue of Newlands in Cape Town, a non-World Cup venue in a World Cup city. 2010 June rugby union tests The

neg: Women's Rugby World Cup in Edmonton, Canada, and was the first major international rugby union tournament and women's world cup held in North America. New Zealand defeated England in the final to win their third successive world cup title. A record four countries expressed interest in hosting the 2010 World Cup. After considering bids from England, Germany, Kazakhstan and South Africa, the IRB announced that the 2010 event would take place in England. The tournament was staged in London, with the final played at the Twickenham Stoop. The 2017 World Cup was hosted by the Irish Rugby Football Union, which governs the sport on

neg: Paul Honiss Paul Honiss Paul Gerard Honiss (born 18 June 1963) is a retired rugby union referee from Hamilton, New Zealand. Honiss held the record of the most test matches refereed (46) when he retired as an international rugby union referee in July 2008. That record has since been surpassed by Jonathan Kaplan. He first started refereeing in 1984, making his international referee debut in a 1997 Rugby World Cup qualifier between Tahiti and the Cook Islands. Honiss was subsequently selected to officiate at the 1999 Rugby World Cup in Wales, and the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia. He was also

neg: Rugby union in New Zealand 1996 the Bledisloe Cup has been contested as part of the Tri Nations/Rugby Championship. . The Rugby World Cup Sevens is World Rugby's equivalent to the (15-man) Rugby World Cup. It is also held every four years, and was originally scheduled in the odd-numbered years in which the 15-man RWC was not held. The competition was first held in 1993. New Zealand won in 2001, were losing finalists to Fiji in 2005, and won the most recent edition in 2013 in Moscow. The 2013 edition was originally intended to be the last because of the impending establishment of an Olympic

neg: Cliodhna Moloney England at Twickenham Stadium. In 2017, she was a part of Ireland's 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup campaign hosted in Ireland. She was a part of promotion for the tournament at University College Dublin, where the group games of the Women's Rugby World Cup were to be held at the UCD Bowl. Moloney works outside of rugby as a banker for KBC Bank Ireland. Cliodhna Moloney Cliodhna Moloney (born 31 May 1993) is an Irish women's rugby union player from Kilconly, County Galway, Republic of Ireland. She currently plays for Railway Union RFC, Leinster Rugby provincially and the Ireland women's

neg: Matías Corral Matías Corral Matías Corral (born August 10, 1968) is a former Argentine rugby union player. He played as a prop. He played in First Division for the San Isidro Club (SIC ) between 1988 and 1995. World champion with Los Pumitas under-19, in the World Cup 1987 and Puma from 1992 until his retirement after the 1995 Rugby World Cup, held in South Africa where he was honored as the best left prop of the world Cup that year, the only Argentine joined the Dream Team. Also, along with Patricio Noriega and Federico Mendez, they were named as the best

neg: 2015 World Rugby Nations Cup Romania won the tournament, for the first time since 2013, with three from three victories. The fixtures were announced on 1 May 2015. 2015 World Rugby Nations Cup The 2015 World Rugby Nations Cup was the tenth edition of the international rugby union tournament, a competition created by the World Rugby. For the ninth time in a row, it was held at the Stadionul Naţional de Rugby in Bucharest, Romania, and was played between 12 and 21 June, running alongside 2015 World Rugby Tbilisi Cup in Georgia. , the hosts, were joined by ENC side and Argentina A side, Argentina

neg: Rugby union in France 1995, the national team has regained its top-tier status. In 1998, France's women's team competed at the first official Women's Rugby World Cup which was held in the Netherlands. In 2003, France was awarded the right to host the 2007 Rugby World Cup, and the country also hosted the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup. Rugby union is more popular in the South of France, whilst in the North of the country, association football can be viewed as the leading code. There are 1,737 clubs in France and the number of licensed players has significantly increased over the recent years, reaching

neg: United States women's national rugby union team in the historic Women’s World Rugby Festival. The WNT posted a record of 3-1 with their only loss coming at the hands of New Zealand. In 1991 the first Women’s Rugby World Cup was held in Cardiff, Wales. Coached by Beantown’s Kevin O’Brien, a Welshman himself, and Minnesota’s Chris Leach, a South African the stage was set for the US women to bring home the Cup. Defeating New Zealand in semi-final play, the USA women advanced to the finals where they defeated England. Also in 1991 the first woman was elected to serve on the USARFU Board of Directors. Jamie

neg: 2008 Dubai Sevens 2008 Dubai Sevens The Dubai Sevens is played annually as part of the IRB Sevens World Series for international rugby sevens (seven-a-side version of rugby union). The 2008 competition was held on November 28 and November 29 at The Sevens, a brand-new facility built to host the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens. It was the first of eight events in the 2008-09 IRB Sevens World Series. The top-tier Cup trophy was won by South Africa. This was the first edition of the Dubai Sevens to be held at The Sevens. Previous editions were held at the Dubai Exiles Rugby Ground.

neg: Portugal national rugby union team Portugal national rugby union team The Portugal national rugby union team is rated as a performance team in the World Rugby four-band classification system, the second highest. Portugal had their first match in 1935 and now compete in the European Nations Cup and occasionally in the IRB Nations Cup. The team as well as all rugby union in Portugal is administered by the Federação Portuguesa de Rugby. Portugal qualified for their first Rugby World Cup in 2007 where they were grouped in Pool C along with New Zealand, Italy, Romania and Scotland. They are nicknamed Os Lobos, Portuguese for "The

neg: Rugby World Cup lock Huw Richards was the first, while playing against New Zealand in 1987. No player has been red carded more than once. Rugby World Cup The Rugby World Cup is a men's rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams. The tournament was first held in 1987, when the tournament was co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia. The winners are awarded the Webb Ellis Cup, named after William Webb Ellis, the Rugby School pupil who, according to a popular legend, invented rugby by picking up the ball during a football game. Four countries have won the

neg: 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens of the Dubai Sevens tournament and the Under 19 Rugby World Championship as strong factors in their decision to select the Arabian Gulf RFU as the host union. The event was the first major rugby tournament to be held in the Middle East. 24 Teams took part in this tournament 16 Teams took part in this tournament 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens The 2009 Rugby Sevens World Cup was the fifth edition of the Rugby World Cup Sevens. The International Rugby Board (IRB) selected Dubai in the United Arab Emirates as the host venue for the tournament ahead of bids

neg: Nigeria national rugby union team Nigeria national rugby union team The Nigeria National Rugby Union Team represent Nigeria in the sport of rugby union. Nigeria have thus far not qualified for a Rugby World Cup, but have competed in qualifying tournaments. Nigeria played their first international against Zimbabwe on 1 August 1987, losing by 111-12 in Nairobi. Their greatest success has been in the 2013 Africa Cup, where they beat Mauritius 63-3 in group 1C. Nigeria tried to qualify for the first time for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, but lost to Senegal (6-48) and Cameroon (8-18), and were eliminated. They also missed the presence

neg: Nigeria national rugby union team nation. These include: Nigeria national rugby union team The Nigeria National Rugby Union Team represent Nigeria in the sport of rugby union. Nigeria have thus far not qualified for a Rugby World Cup, but have competed in qualifying tournaments. Nigeria played their first international against Zimbabwe on 1 August 1987, losing by 111-12 in Nairobi. Their greatest success has been in the 2013 Africa Cup, where they beat Mauritius 63-3 in group 1C. Nigeria tried to qualify for the first time for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, but lost to Senegal (6-48) and Cameroon (8-18), and were eliminated. They also

neg: Rugby World Cup Sevens from the 2013 competition. The 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament for both men and women's teams was held from Friday 20 July 2018 to Sunday 22 July 2018 in AT&T Park, San Francisco in the United States. Unlike previous Rugby World Cup Sevens tournaments and the annual World Rugby Sevens Series events, in each of the genders, both competitions were played in knock-out only formats. The Rugby World Cup Sevens originated with a proposal by the Scottish Rugby Union to the International Rugby Board. The inaugural tournament was held at Murrayfield in Edinburgh in 1993, and has been held

neg: Marius Tincu Zealand. He also competed at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Marius Tincu Marius Tincu (born 7 April 1978 in Vânători, Iași) is a Romanian-born former rugby union footballer. He played as a hooker. Since 2007, he has held dual French-Romanian citizenship. He was first noticed in Romania, but soon moved to France, where he already played for Rouen, La Teste, Section Paloise (until 2005). He played for USA Perpignan, from the 2005-06 Top 14. Tincu played his first game for Romania on 3 February 2002 against Portugal. He played in four games at the 2007 Rugby World Cup, scoring three

neg: Rugby union in Italy in Romania and World Rugby Tbilisi Cup in Georgia are tournaments involving the host teams and usually Tier One teams like Argentina XV and Emerging Italy and Tier Two teams like Portugal and Russia. Nations Cup was first held in 2006. Apart from the two Italian teams competing in the Pro14, European Rugby Champions Cup and European Rugby Challenge Cup, the Top12 is the main competition for rugby union clubs in Italy. The competition was first contested in 1929, with six clubs. It was altered in 2002 to include just the top 10 sides of Italy, and was extended to

neg: 2017 World Rugby Nations Cup is the third year in a row where the hosts capitalized on the home advantage to claim the title, with previous hosts Romania winning in 2015 and 2016. Below are the competing teams with their World Rugby Rankings as of the first tournament date (10 June 2017): Notes: Notes: Notes: Notes: Notes: Notes: 2017 World Rugby Nations Cup The 2017 World Rugby Nations Cup was the twelfth edition of the World Rugby Nations Cup rugby union tournament, created by World Rugby. It was the first ever tournament to be played outside of Romania and without their national team, with Uruguay

neg: Russia national rugby union team tournament. Russia's women field national rugby union teams in both fifteens, where it appeared at the Women's Rugby World Cup in 1994 and 1998 as Russia and in 1991 as the USSR, and in sevens, which took part in the first Women's Rugby World Cup Sevens in 2009 and which contests the IRB Women's Sevens World Series. Russia national rugby union team The Russia national rugby union team (Russian: Сборная России по регби, "Sbornaya Rossii po regbi"), nicknamed the Bears, is administered by the Rugby Union of Russia (RUR). The RUR is considered the official successor union of the Soviet

neg: 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup were set as it follows: If teams had been tied at full-time, the winner would have been determined through a 10-minutes extra time (the first team to score any points would have been declared the winner) or eventually a kicking competition (five players from each team would have kicked from three different points on the 22 metre line). 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup The 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup was the sixth edition of the Women's Rugby World Cup and was held in England. The International Rugby Board Executive Committee selected the host union following a recommendation from the Rugby

neg: Rugby union in the Soviet Union France. He is still alive and living in Marseilles, he was interviewed on French radio on the occasion of Georgia playing France in the 2007 Rugby World Cup. The very first rugby session was held on October 15, 1959 in Tbilisi, at the racecourse, where 20 people attended the meeting. The first Georgian club formed was the GPI (Georgian Polytechnical Institute), now known as "Qochebi". Along with the revival in the late 1950s, rugby received another boost in the 1960s, when Soviet industry started to manufacture its own equipment. The 1960s saw massive Soviet investment in sport - for example,

neg: Marika Vunibaka over as head coach in 2017. Vunibaka lead the club to the Club Championship and 1st Grade to an undefeated home and away season and their first grand final appearance since 1998 where the Leeton Phantoms held on to win 30-29 over Wagga Wagga Waratahs for the clubs second 1st Grade Premiership and first sine 1991. Marika Vunibaka Marika "Dawainavesi" Vunibaka (born 3 November 1974) is a Fijian former rugby union player. He represented the Fiji national team on numerous occasions, including at the 1999 Rugby World Cup in Wales and the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia. Vunibaka represented

neg: Tai Enosa scored the winning try that put the USA Eagles over Russia in their final Churchill Cup game. Enosa was a member of the US squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, where he played in one game. On a club level, Enosa played for Tempe, before transferring to Belmont Shore. Tai Enosa Tai Enosa (born 1 October 1989 in American Samoa) is an American rugby union player. Enosa has played for the United States national under-20 rugby union team, including playing in the 2009 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy tournament held in Kenya, and helping guide the

neg: 1999 Rugby World Cup – Asia qualification round 3 games were held in Singapore. Japan qualified for RWC 1999, South Korea qualified for repechage. 1999 Rugby World Cup – Asia qualification The Asian Rugby Football Union was allotted one place in the 1999 Rugby World Cup by direct qualification (Asia 1) and one place in the repechage tournament. Eight teams participated in the qualification tournament for Asia which was held in three stages. The first two stages (Rounds 1 and 2) were played in 1997 and the last stage (Round 3) was played in 1998. The three lowest ranked sides played a single round robin tournament (drawn

neg: 2015 Rugby World Cup Final became the first team in the History of the Rugby World Cup to successfully defend their title after eight editions of the tournament. They also became the first team to win three Rugby World Cups, previously winning the 1987 and 2011 editions, both of which were held on home soil, making this occasion the first time that New Zealand won the tournament on foreign soil. Notes: At the closing ceremony on 31 October, English singer Laura Wright sang World in Union. This was followed by the handover to Japan for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Prince Harry presented the Webb

neg: 2017 World Rugby Nations Cup 2017 World Rugby Nations Cup The 2017 World Rugby Nations Cup was the twelfth edition of the World Rugby Nations Cup rugby union tournament, created by World Rugby. It was the first ever tournament to be played outside of Romania and without their national team, with Uruguay hosting competition. Like in 2016, the tournament featured six teams split in two pools of three, where the three European teams; Emerging Italy, Russia and Spain played the other three teams; Argentina XV, Namibia and Uruguay. Hosts Uruguay won the tournament, the first time they had done so in five previous attempts. It

neg: Rugby World Cup Rugby World Cup The Rugby World Cup is a men's rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams. The tournament was first held in 1987, when the tournament was co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia. The winners are awarded the Webb Ellis Cup, named after William Webb Ellis, the Rugby School pupil who, according to a popular legend, invented rugby by picking up the ball during a football game. Four countries have won the trophy; New Zealand three times, Australia and South Africa each twice, and England once. New Zealand are the current champions, having defeated

neg: Czech Republic national rugby union team Rugby Union's 90th anniversary. The match was held at the Marketa Stadium in Prague. They lost the match to the Barbarians, 71-0. Czech Republic national rugby union team The Czech Republic national rugby union team is the third tier rugby national team of the Czech Republic. They first started playing as the Czech Republic in 1993 after the split of Czechoslovakia and now compete in the European Nations Cup. They have yet to qualify for the Rugby World Cup, but have entered the qualifiers since the 1995 edition. Rugby union in the Czech Republic is administered by the Česká Rugbyová

neg: Papua New Guinea national rugby union team Papua New Guinea national rugby union team The Papua New Guinea national rugby union team, nicknamed the Pukpuks, (Tok Pisin for 'crocodilis'), played its first international in 1966, defeating Vanuatu 47-3. Papua New Guinea have not so far qualified for a Rugby World Cup. They participated in the Oceania World Cup qualifying tournaments for the 2007 and 2011 world cups, but did not qualify. Papua New Guinea made their international rugby debut at the South Pacific Games in 1966. The team won all three matches against , and to win the gold medal. As hosts for the following games held

neg: Tanzania national rugby union team Tanzania national rugby union team The Tanzania national rugby union team represents Tanzania in international rugby union. They are known as the "Twigas" (Swahili for "giraffes"). Tanzania are a member of the International Rugby Board (IRB), and have yet to play in a Rugby World Cup tournament. In the 1970s expatriates and Tanzanians regularly played in the national team in an annual competition against Kenya. Tanzania played their first officially recognised international in 2004, defeating Burundi. Tanzania won the CAR Castel Cup in 2006. Tanzania won the 2007 CAR Castel Cup Division 2, South Zone, Pool A tournament held in

neg: World Rugby Tbilisi Cup World Rugby Tbilisi Cup The World Rugby Tbilisi Cup is a rugby union competition that was first held in 2013 at Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi with the hosts joined by , who regularly take part in the Nations Cup, and two newly founded teams: Emerging Ireland, who were made up of young Irish players that didn't get selected for the Lions tour to Australia or the national side's tour to North America, and a South Africa President's XV, composed of Currie Cup players. Georgia was the only team to return for the second edition in 2014. They were joined by

neg: World Rugby Nations Cup World Rugby Nations Cup The Nations Cup is a rugby union competition that was first held in 2006 at Estádio Universitário in Lisbon with Argentina A, Italy A, Portugal and Russia taking part. The tournament is part of the International Rugby Board's US $50 million Strategic Investment programme, which also includes the Pacific Nations Cup, the Pacific Rugby Cup and the Americas Rugby Championship (as well as the ARC's predecessor, the North America 4). The Nations Cup is aimed at providing more competition for tier one A sides, as well as offering opportunities for second and third tier nations such

neg: Eddie Jones (rugby union) Eddie Jones (rugby union) Eddie Jones (born 30 January 1960) is an Australian rugby union coach and former player who is the current head coach of the England national team, a position he has held since 2015. Between 2001 and 2005 he coached , taking the team to the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final, and from 2012 to 2015 he coached , leading them in the 2015 Rugby World Cup and their upset win over . Jones was an assistant coach for South Africa in 2007 when the Springboks won the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Jones began his coaching career

neg: Oceania Rugby Cup Oceania Rugby Cup The Oceania Cup is an international rugby union competition for countries and territories from Oceania with national teams in the developmental band. It is administered by Oceania Rugby (formerly known as FORU). The tournament has been played under various formats depending on the number and strength of the teams entered. The first competition was held in 1996-97 as part of the qualification process for the 1999 Rugby World Cup. The competition was officially re-launched as the FORU Oceania Cup for the 2007 season. From 2009 onward, it has been held bi-annually and it has been played under

neg: Gibraltar national rugby union team Gibraltar national rugby union team The Gibraltar national rugby union team represent Gibraltar in men's rugby union. The nation is not currently affiliated to World Rugby and have yet to qualify for a World Cup. On the 5 November 2011 the Gibraltar Rugby Football Union (GRFU) fielded a national team in its first official Test Match. The fixture was against the Belgium Development Team and was held in Brussels. The final score was: Belgium Development 20 – Gibraltar 8. Test Caps have officially been awarded to the Gibraltar team players, this came after playing and defeating a Cyprus XV and

neg: 2018 World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup 2018 World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup The 2018 World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup was the thirteenth edition of the Pacific Nations Cup annual international rugby union competition. All matches for the 2018 tournament, played over two rounds, were held in Fiji at the ANZ National Stadium in Suva. Hosts Fiji and fellow Pacific nations Samoa and Tonga were joined by Georgia who competing for the first time in the tournament. Romania was also initially scheduled to compete for the Cup until Samoa's place in the competition was confirmed in May 2018. Fiji won the tournament with two wins from their

neg: Ruan Sims Ruan Sims Ruan Sims (born 1982) is a female rugby league footballer. She played rugby union for and was a member of the squad at the 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup that finished in third place. She played rugby league for Australia at the 2013 & 2017 Women's Rugby League World Cup and was part of the squad that won the tournament. She is the older sister of Fijian rugby league internationals Ashton, Korbin and Tariq Sims. She was brought up in a sporting household in Gerringong where Ruan held the gumboot throwing record in 2013. Sims inherits her interest

neg: 2007 Churchill Cup first occasion where the competition was played outside of North America. This was because many players were to be in Europe ahead of the Rugby World Cup. 2007 Churchill Cup The 2007 Churchill Cup was held from May 18 to June 2, 2007. It was the fifth year of the Churchill Cup. Six rugby union teams took part: Canada, England Saxons, Ireland A, New Zealand Māori, Scotland A, and the USA. The teams were split into two pools of three teams each. The winners of the two pools moved on to compete in the overall final, while the two runners-up

neg: Women's rugby union 2026 40% of the total number of rugby players will be female. The game remains an amateur, minority sport—but a fast-growing one played in over 80 countries worldwide. Cost and player numbers mean that, in many of these nations, sevens tends to dominate, but 15-a-side championships have now been established in all regions. The highest profile women’s rugby tournament is the Women’s Rugby World Cup. The Women’s World Cup began in 1991, and has generally been played every four years. The most recent Women’s World Cup was held in Ireland in 2017, where New Zealand were the winners. The most

neg: Melrose Cup Melrose Cup The Melrose Cup is the main prize of the Rugby World Cup Sevens. The trophy is named after the town of Melrose, Scotland, the birthplace of rugby sevens where in 1883 local butcher boy Ned Haig with help of his boss David Sanderson invited local rugby union teams to play a small tournament as a fundraiser event for the Melrose Rugby Club that had financial issues. The trophy has been presented to the winner of the world cup since the inaugural tournament in 1993. The only teams to have held the trophy are England, Wales, Fiji and current

neg: World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup The Pacific Nations Cup is an international rugby union competition currently held between three Pacific nations: Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. First held in 2006, the tournament is intended to strengthen the Tier 2 rugby nations by providing competitive test matches in a tournament format. Previously, Japan participated from 2006 to 2015, New Zealand from 2006 to 2009, Australia from 2007 to 2008, and Canada and the United States from 2013 to 2015. The inaugural tournament was the only one that carried the title of IRB Pacific 5 Nations; from 2007 the competition was known as

neg: Sara Barattin Sara Barattin Sara Barattin (born 11 September 1986 in Treviso) is an Italian rugby union player who plays as scrum-half for ASD Villorba Rugby and the Italy women's national rugby union team, where she is the captain. Sara Barattin was born on 11 September 1986. Barattin began playing for the Italy women's national rugby union team at the age of 18. Prior to the start of the 2016 season, she was made the team's captain. She was captain of Italy as they competed in the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup, the first World Cup for the national side since 2002.

neg: Roger Clarke (rugby administrator) union in the wake of the 2015 Rugby World Cup due to be held in England. Clarke was appointed alongside former players of the England national rugby union team and the British and Irish Lions, Fran Cotton and Peter Wheeler. In 2013, Clarke said that he would like to see some of the legacy money invested in grassroots rugby facilities. Roger Clarke (rugby administrator) Roger Clarke is a rugby union administrator from Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England. Clarke was educated at Royal Tunbridge Wells Grammar school, The Skinners' School where he also played rugby union for the school. Clarke then

neg: Rugby World Cup Sevens Rugby World Cup Sevens The Rugby World Cup Sevens is the premier stand-alone international rugby sevens competition outside the Olympic Games. The event is contested every four years, with tournaments for men's and women's national teams co-hosted at the same venues. It is organised by World Rugby, the sport's governing body. The first tournament was held in 1993 in Scotland, the birthplace of rugby sevens. The winners of the men's tournament are awarded the Melrose Cup, named after the Scottish town of Melrose where the first rugby sevens game was played. The women's tournament was inaugurated at the 2009 Rugby

neg: Joe Simpson (rugby union, born 1988) in the 66th minute against Georgia in the pool stages of the Rugby World Cup 2011 to win his long anticipated first cap. He was only the second player to win his first cap for England in a Rugby World cup tournament – second to Joe Worsley who was the first player to do so at the 1999 Rugby World Cup. Joe Simpson (rugby union, born 1988) Joe Simpson (born 5 July 1988) is a rugby union player who plays scrum half for Wasps, the England national rugby union team and represents Team GB by playing rugby sevens. Simpson was

neg: Africa Women's Sevens Africa Women's Sevens The Africa Women's Sevens is the continental championship for women's international rugby sevens in Africa. The tournament sanctioned and sponsored by Rugby Africa (previously CAR) which is the rugby union governing body for the continent. The first official regional 7s championship for international women's teams from Africa was held in Tunisia in 2004, although this only included teams from Northern Africa. The first World Cup Sevens qualifier for women's teams from Africa was held in Uganda in 2008. Since then, African championships have periodically served as pre-qualifying competitions for the Rugby 7s World Cup, or other sevens

neg: 2016 June rugby union tests series against France, whilst Italy continued their tour of the Americas in North America, where they played Canada and the United States. 2019 Rugby World Cup hosts Japan looked to improve on their 2015 Rugby World Cup display when they hosted Scotland for a two-test series, whilst they also played away to Canada in a first ever international rugby union Test match at BC Place. Russia toured North America, playing a test against both Canada and the United States, in what was Russia's first visit to North America since 2010. Georgia traveled to the Pacific Islands, where Fiji and Samoa

neg: 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup The 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup was the seventh edition of the Women's Rugby World Cup, and the sixth held in Europe. The World Cup Final took place on August 17. All of the pool games for the World Cup took place at the Centre National du Rugby (CNR) in Marcoussis and Marcoussis Rugby Club with the French union adopting the concept of restricting the tournament to one or two locations as in the 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup in London. Marcoussis is about 20 miles south of Paris. The knockout stages of the tournament

neg: Rugby union in Australia half time, and the match was decided by a Jonah Lomu try to finish in favour of New Zealand by 39–35. The Wallabies were champions of the 1999 Rugby World Cup in Wales, claiming their second Webb Ellis Cup trophy. In doing this, Australia became the first multiple winners of the tournament. The year 2003 saw the staging of the Rugby World Cup in Australia. The fifth Rugby World Cup was held in various Australian cities from October to November in 2003. Matches were played all across the country, in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth, Townsville, Gosford, Wollongong and

neg: World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup tries scored in the Pacific Nations Cup. Below is a table listing all the venues that have been used in the tournaments, listed with the number of matches each venue has hosted annually and historically: "Table updated to 2017 tournament" World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup The Pacific Nations Cup is an international rugby union competition currently held between three Pacific nations: Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. First held in 2006, the tournament is intended to strengthen the Tier 2 rugby nations by providing competitive test matches in a tournament format. Previously, Japan participated from 2006 to 2015, New Zealand from 2006

neg: Rugby union in China first match to Malaysia 89-0, and so was eliminated from the qualification process. China was not eligible to attempt to qualify for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, because only teams in the Top Three (generally Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea), Division 1, and Division 2 of the Asian Rugby Championship can participate in the qualification process. The People’s Liberation Army XV team represents China in the International Defence Rugby Competition, which is held alongside the Rugby World Cup. It participated in the inaugural 2011 edition, held in New Zealand and Australia. Results included a 59-12 loss to the Tongan

neg: Rugby union in Edinburgh. The Rugby World Cup, first held in 1987, takes place every four years. The Six Nations Championship in Europe and The Rugby Championship in the Southern Hemisphere are other major international competitions, held annually. National club or provincial competitions include the Premiership in England, the Top 14 in France, the Mitre 10 Cup in New Zealand, the National Rugby Championship in Australia, and the Currie Cup in South Africa. Other transnational club competitions include the Pro14 in Europe and South Africa, the European Rugby Champions Cup solely in Europe, and Super Rugby, in the Southern Hemisphere and Japan.

neg: Sport in Chile by Queen Elizabeth II of England in 2004, and a second title in 2007. Chile hosted the World Polo Championship in 1992, where it won second place, and received third place in the 2004 World Cup held in France. Chile will made its debut in Rugby league in 2015. Although there has been no games on home soil all players meet eligibility guidelines. Rugby union has been played in Chile since at least the 1880s, introduced by the British. The Chile Rugby Union was formed in 1935 and was renamed the Rugby Federation of Chile in 1948. At present, rugby

neg: Ewart Bell Chair of the International Rugby Board. He was appointed President of the Rugby World Cup in 1993, where he presided over the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa. Ewart Bell Sir William Ewart Bell (13 November 1924 – 2 January 2001) was an Irish Rugby Union player and civil servant who became a Rugby Union administrator later in life. He was President of the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) and Chair of the 1995 Rugby World Cup. He was Permanent Secretary at the United Kingdom Northern Ireland Office from 1979–84, a time marked by Republican hunger strikes. Ewart Bell

neg: 2015 Cup of Nations (rugby union) 2015 Cup of Nations (rugby union) The 2015 Cup of Nations was the third Cup of Nations tournament, but the first held outside the United Arab Emirates. Unlike 2011 and 2012, the Cup of Nations was staged in Hong Kong at the Hong Kong Football Club Stadium from November 13 to 21. The tournament acted as a year ending tournament for tier 3 teams from different continents and provides greater preparation for teams to play in their regional competitions, especially this year participants who aim to qualify for the 2019 Rugby World Cup haven failed to qualify for the 2015

neg: World Rugby Pacific Challenge ranked teams played off for third place. Notes: For the first five seasons, the tournament was contested by six teams; two each from Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga. The format consisted of a single round-robin, home or away, and the teams finishing in the first two positions on the table played in a final, hosted by the top ranked team, to decide the Pacific Rugby Cup title. World Rugby Pacific Challenge The World Rugby Pacific Challenge, formerly the IRB Pacific Rugby Cup, is an annual rugby union football tournament held in Oceania since 2006. It is contested by national 'A' teams

neg: Georgia national rugby union team of the national squad are based in France, in both the Top 14 and lower divisions. This is a practice that was popularized by former national team coach, Claude Saurel, a Frenchman. Rugby is one of the most popular sports in Georgia. The national team qualified for the Rugby World Cup four times, first in 2003 – playing against rugby powers such as England and South Africa. The Lelos recorded their first ever World Cup win in 2007 Rugby World Cup, where they beat Namibia 30–0. As of 6 February 2017, Georgia are ranked 12th in the world by World

neg: United States national rugby union team Japan 20–14. The Eagles had a 1–5 record in test matches for the year in their preparations for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. In their 2011 Rugby World Cup opening match against Ireland the Eagles defense initially held, before conceding their first try at the 39' mark. The final tally was 22–10. The Eagles came into the World Cup with their measuring mark for success as being a win over Russia. The Americans took a 10–3 lead into the half, and held on to win 13–6. For their third match, Australia dominated, leading to the final result of 67–5, the

neg: Fiji 2016, they won Fiji's first ever Olympic medal in the Rugby sevens at the Summer Olympics, winning gold by defeating Great Britain 43-7 in the final. The national rugby union team has competed at five Rugby World Cup competitions, the first being in 1987, where they reached the quarter-finals. The Fiji national side did not match that feat again until the 2007 Rugby World Cup when they upset Wales 38–34 to progress to the quarter-finals where they lost to the eventual Rugby World Cup winners, South Africa. Fiji also defeated the British and Irish Lions in 1977. Fiji competes in

neg: World Rugby title. The next Rugby World Cup will be held in 2019 hosted by Japan. World Rugby also organises the Women's Rugby World Cup, also held every four years. It was first held by the IRB in 1998, though tournaments in 1991 and 1994 were retrospectively recognised in 2009. The Women's Rugby World Cup is contested by fewer teams than the men's Cup, with only the 1998 and 2002 editions featuring more than 12 teams (these competitions both had 16 teams, compared to the 20 teams in the men's Rugby World Cup). The most recent Women's Rugby World Cup was held

neg: Northumberland Senior Cup (rugby union) Northumberland Senior Cup (rugby union) The Northumberland Senior Cup is an annual rugby union competition held between the clubs of the Northumberland RFU which was first played in 1882. It is the senior county cup for the Northumberland Rugby Union, which includes Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, and Northumberland. The current holders are Percy Park who defeated Alnwick in the 2018 cup final. Most games were held at the Northumberland County Ground from 1932 up until 1988; before and after the County Ground's existence Senior Cup Finals have been played at various venues in the county. The Senior Cup is

neg: 1999 Rugby World Cup – Asia qualification 1999 Rugby World Cup – Asia qualification The Asian Rugby Football Union was allotted one place in the 1999 Rugby World Cup by direct qualification (Asia 1) and one place in the repechage tournament. Eight teams participated in the qualification tournament for Asia which was held in three stages. The first two stages (Rounds 1 and 2) were played in 1997 and the last stage (Round 3) was played in 1998. The three lowest ranked sides played a single round robin tournament (drawn for home or away), with top placed team progressing to the next round and the other two

neg: Rugby union in New Zealand sevens tournament in 2016. World Rugby (then known as the IRB) later decided to retain the World Cup Sevens, and established a new four-year cycle in which the World Cup will be held in even-numbered non-Olympic years. As such, the next edition is to be held in 2018 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The World Rugby Sevens Series, held annually since 1999–2000, is a series of several international tournaments, expanding from nine to ten for the upcoming 2015–16 series, featuring full international sevens teams. New Zealand have been the dominant team throughout the series' history, winning the first six

neg: Women's rugby sevens in South America the rugby union governing body for the region. The South America Women's Sevens Championship was first held in Venezuela in 2004. Since then, the regional 7s championships have periodically served as pre-qualifying competitions for the Rugby World Cup Sevens, the Pan American Games and the Olympic Games. Rugby sevens — also known as 7-a-side, or 7s — is a short form of the sport of rugby union that was first played in 1883. The first (men's) internationals took place in 1973. As women's rugby union developed in the 1960s and 1970s the format became very popular as it allowed games,

neg: 2007 Dubai Sevens 2007 Dubai Sevens The Dubai Sevens is played annually as part of the IRB Sevens World Series for international rugby sevens (seven-a-side version of rugby union). The 2007 competition, which took place on November 30 and December 1 at the Dubai Exiles Rugby Ground, was the first Cup trophy in the 2007-08 IRB Sevens World Series. It was the last Dubai Sevens to be held at the Exiles Ground. Starting in 2008, the tournament moved to The Sevens, a new stadium built to host the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens. The defending series champions New Zealand won the Cup trophy

neg: Major sports event hosting in Britain during the 2010s there were only two bids, the winner was announced by the CGF President, Mike Fennell, after the first round of voting, with the winner only requiring a simple majority. Celebrations were held at Glasgow's Old Fruitmarket, where a crowd of over 1,200 had gathered to watch the result live. The 2014 Ryder Cup was held at Gleneagles in Scotland. The inaugural finals of the new European rugby union competitions, the European Rugby Champions Cup and European Rugby Challenge Cup, were held in London. On 1 May 2015, the Twickenham Stoop hosted the final of the second-tier Challenge Cup. The following

neg: Webb Ellis Cup Webb Ellis Cup The Webb Ellis Cup is the trophy awarded to the winner of the Rugby World Cup, the premier competition in men's international rugby union. The Cup is named after William Webb Ellis, who is often credited as the inventor of rugby football. The trophy is silver gilt and has been presented to the winner of the Rugby World Cup since the first competition in 1987. It has been held three times by New Zealand (1987, 2011 & 2015), twice by Australia (1991 & 1999) and South Africa (1995 & 2007), and once by England in 2003. The

neg: Sateki Tuipulotu All Blacks at the 2003 World Cup. He is now head coach of the Penrith Emus who compete in the Shute Shield Sateki Tuipulotu Sateki Tuipulotu (born 3 July 1971) is a former rugby union footballer who played internationally for Tonga. Tuipulotu was born in Auckland, New Zealand. He first played for Tonga in 1994 against Wales. Playing at fullback, he was a regular player for Tonga until his retirement following the 2003 Rugby World Cup. He also played in the 1995 Rugby World Cup and 1999 Rugby World Cup where he helped kick Tonga to a victory over Italy

neg: Rugby union in Georgia and in 1948. Rugby was introduced to Georgia by Jacques Haspekian, an Armenian man from Marseilles in France who taught the game to students in the late 1950s through to the mid-1960s, although he then subsequently returned in France. He is still alive and living in Marseilles, he was interviewed on French radio on the occasion of Georgia playing France in the 2007 Rugby World Cup. The very first rugby session was held on October 15, 1959 in Tbilisi, at the racecourse, where 20 people attended the meeting. The first Georgian club formed was the GPI (Georgian Polytechnical Institute), now

neg: Kurt Weaver 2016. His first international appointment came in a Test match (rugby union) between Jamaica national rugby union team and Bahamas national rugby union team in 2012. Weaver became a World Rugby referee in 2015, receiving multiple appointments to the Africa Cup, Americas Rugby Championship, World Rugby Under 20 Trophy, and World Rugby Nations Cup 2017, in addition to Assistant Referee appointments. He was one of the first contracted referees for the inaugural PRO Rugby season - the first professional Rugby union competition in the United States. He refereed Canada against the Maori All Blacks in November 2017. Weaver founded non-profit

neg: Zambia national rugby union team Zambia national rugby union team Zambia national rugby union team is a third-tier rugby union side representing Zambia. They first played in 1975 and now compete on an annual basis in the Africa Cup. Rugby union in Zambia is administered by the Zambian Rugby Union. Zambia competes in the Africa Rugby Cup. Zambia also competes in qualifying for the Rugby World Cup, although they have yet to qualify for the tournament. Zambia were not invited to the original world cup in 1987 in New Zealand. They did not enter the first two tournaments that were open to qualification in 1991