The All Blacks are the scariest and most exciting rugby team In the history of the competition. So how successful have New Zealand been in the Rugby World Cup?
How many Rugby World Cups have New Zealand won? New Zealand have won three of the nine Rugby World Cups. The All Blacks lifted the trophy in 1987, 2011 and 2015. Their title in 2015 was the most recent success and their third world cup trophy, tying them with South Africa for most World Cup wins.
New Zealand are one of the most successful rugby teams in the history of the sport. In total they have won three World Cup titles. The All Blacks were the hosts of the very first Rugby World Cup and used that home advantage to win the World Cup. Despite being one of the best teams in the world, the All Blacks had a long world cup drought.
| New Zealand Rugby World Cup Finals | |||||
| Year | Winners | Final score | Runners-up | Venue | Location |
| 1987 | New Zealand | 29–9 | France | Eden Park | Auckland, New Zealand |
| 1995 | South Africa | 15–12 | New Zealand | Ellis Park | Johannesburg, South Africa |
| 2011 | New Zealand | 8–7 | France | Eden Park | Auckland, New Zealand |
| 2015 | New Zealand | 34–17 | Australia | Twickenham | London, England |
In 2011, they were once again the hosts of the Rugby World Cup and New Zealand had an excellent tournament throughout. Having beaten France, Tonga, Canada and Japan in the group stage, they advanced to the quarter-final against Argentina. New Zealand were comfortable throughout that game and beat Australia comfortably in the semi-final.
The final was a rematch of the 1987 final, held in the same stadium. While the score was much closer, the result was exactly the same and New Zealand claimed their second Rugby World Cup title. Four years later, New Zealand cruised through the group stage before a massive win over France.
They then squeezed out an incredibly close result against South Africa to face Australia in the final. While Australia scored two tries in a row in the second half, the All Blacks were comfortable throughout the game and cruised to their third Rugby World Cup title thanks mainly to the boot of Dan Carter.
So in total, New Zealand have three Rugby World Cups which is joint for the most trophies in international history. South Africa are the only other team able to match the All Blacks record on World Cup wins.
How many Rugby Championships have New Zealand won?
The Rugby Championship has been the southern hemisphere’s version of the Six Nation for the last 11 years, with the format being changed in 2012 from the Tri Nations.
New Zealand have won the Rugby Championship title eight times, by far the most out of any team. At the time of writing there have been ten Rugby Championship tournaments and New Zealand have already won eight of them. The Rugby Championship began in New Zealand’s most dominant period of international rugby.
The 2010s were dominated by the All Blacks, with New Zealand winning back to back Rugby World Cup trophies in 2011 and again in 2015. They have continued to excel in The Rugby Championship at the same time, only losing the trophy twice since the format rebranded in 2012.
2015 and 2019 were the two years where New Zealand did not win The Rugby Championship trophy. Australia won the tournament in 2015 and South Africa won the tournament in 2019. Despite their struggles over the last few years, New Zealand have won the last two tournaments.
New Zealand have the opportunity to take their The Rugby Championship victories to nine later this year as The Rugby Championship runs just before the Rugby World Cup. The All Blacks look to continue their dominance in The Rugby Championship.
Which sport is famous in New Zealand?
Rugby is one of the most popular sports in New Zealand. The sport has been seen as the unofficial sport of the country for many years. Rugby was introduced to New Zealand in 1870 and the first game in the country was played in Nelson, a small city on the South Island of the country.
Before Europeans arrived, a similar game was being played and so the indigenous population took to playing rugby quite quickly. The sport is played at many different levels across the country.
There are many different competitions in the country, with Super Rugby being by far the most popular competition in the country. The New Zealand national team is one of the best in the sports history and is a big reason for Rugby being so popular in New Zealand.
How many Rugby Championships have South Africa won?
While New Zealand have been the dominant team in the Rugby Championship, South Africa have still won one Rugby Championship. Their single tournament victory came in 2019, the same year that the Springboks would win the Rugby World Cup.
The Rugby Championship format was reduced in 2019 because of the Rugby World Cup, so each team played against each other just once, instead of the normal home and away series. South Africa benefited from that massively to win the tournament.
They began the tournament at home against Australia. Both teams featured very different sides to the one that would win the tournament. The Springboks headed into the first game without player’s who would start in the Rugby World Cup final like Cheslin Kolbe, Siya Kolisi and Handre Pollard.
Australia had a very changed side as well, but it was the Springboks who were able to get the upper hand almost immediately. The game was never massively close, with South Africa able to consistently hold a lead over the Wallabies. An 80th minute try from substitute scrum half Cobus Reinach meant the game ended 35-17.
They faced an incredibly difficult test the following round against the All Blacks in New Zealand. The All Blacks had a seven point lead in the final five minutes, with South Africa heading for a loss. A dramatic, final second try from Herschel Jantjies gave Handre Pollard the chance to tie the game.
He slotted home the conversion and the game ended as a draw. The following week, South Africa were able to beat Argentina in a very close game. Australia were able to upset New Zealand and this gave South Africa their first Rugby Championship title.
They have not won the competition since, despite winning the Rugby World Cup in 2019.