What are the greatest Rugby World Cup moments?
In a new podcast series on BBC Sounds, World Cup winners Matt Dawson and Bryan Habana join the BBC’s rugby union correspondent Chris Jones to discuss their highlights.
The series also covers themes including the best captains, tries, upsets and teams.
Below are their picks for the greatest moments in chronological order. See what you think, then rank them yourself.
The opening game – where it all began
New Zealand hosted the first Rugby World Cup in 1987, opening the competition with a 70-6 victory over Italy at Eden Park. The hosts went on to win the inaugural World Cup, with a 29-9 win over France in the final.
BH: “Where it all started! Rugby has come on such a long way from that first point. It put it on the global stage to creating a showpiece for the sport we dearly love.”
Lomu runs over Catt
New Zealand wing Jonah Lomu became the first global superstar of rugby at the 1995 World Cup. During the semi-final victory over England, he trampled over Mike Catt before scoring one of his four tries in a 45-29 victory. Four years later in the semi-final, he powered through multiple French tacklers to score yet another one of the great World Cup tries.
MD: “If we are shortening it to just a moment in time… when he ran through France. No-one has ever done that before, and I don’t think they will do it again.”
BH: “If you think of the Rugby World Cup and a moment, that is one that comes up – against Mike Catt.”
Brooke’s huge drop-goal
During that 1995 semi-final between England and New Zealand, another iconic moment occurred when New Zealand number eight Zinzan Brooke picked up the ball and knocked over a drop-goal from 45 metres out.
BH: “For a forward to take a drop kick from 45 metres on the angle, it was just effortless…”
Stransky kicks South Africa to victory
South Africa staged the 1995 World Cup after returning to the international stage after apartheid. The hosts reached the final, where they met New Zealand. The match swung this way and that before a Joel Stransky drop-goal won it for the Springboks.
Mandela presents Pienaar with the trophy
The image of Nelson Mandela handing South Africa captain Francois Pienaar the Rugby World Cup after the Springboks’ 15-12 victory is iconic. Mandela, the former political prisoner turned unifying president of a nation, was wearing a South Africa rugby shirt bearing the Springbok badge – a symbol previously reviled by non-whites in the country as it was so strongly identified with the apartheid era.
BH: “As moments go, if you were to play a highlight reel of moments from 1987 to 2019, that is the first one you pick – without a doubt. The visual moment and what it meant for the game of rugby and South Africa.”
De Beer’s five drop-goals against England
Fly-half Jannie de Beer almost single-handedly knocked England out of the 1999 World Cup with five drop-goals in the quarter-final, the majority of which were from long range. The game finished 44-21.
MD: “After two, we were like: ‘This is ridiculous.’ Then it dawned on us – it was their plan; it wasn’t him kicking a drop-goal as he had no option. It was a phenomenal strategy to go for. We thought we were in the game but we never were.”
BH: “All five were incredible, but a moment I look back to is when the great Joost van der Westhuizen, after the fifth one, runs over and jumps on Jannie. It’s that feeling of, ‘we have done this’.
Gregan’s ‘four more years, boys’
The 2003 semi-final between Australia and New Zealand was built up as one of the biggest matches between these two huge rivals. The All Blacks had not won the trophy since 1987 but were – again – among the favourites. The game is remembered for Australia scrum-half George Gregan mouthing “four more years, boys” to replacement Byron Kelleher in the closing stages of Australia’s 22-10 win.
BH: “You try to say things and do things in a game but for George to literally make Byron Kelleher not have any rebuttal or response – it is in the most pure form. I just love it.”
MD: “There are very few people who can say it and it have that much effect because of that Australian and New Zealand rivalry.”
Wilkinson’s winning drop-goal in 2003
“He drops for World Cup glory…” Jonny Wilkinson kicked a last-minute drop-goal with his weaker foot to edge England past Australia 20-17 in extra time of the 2003 final. Scrum-half Dawson delivered the all-important pass – after breaking into the Australia 22.
BH: “He did it with his weak foot, in a World Cup final, to win the game. On the wrong foot with that pressure, it shows the class of the player.”
MD: “It is the whole fairytale of Jonny Wilkinson which makes that moment – from his young age into the England squad and his general profile, his attitude towards life and rugby. A lot of people now look at Jonny Wilkinson as just a wonderful human being and look at him as someone who deserved that moment. I remember passing the ball to Jonny and I did think ‘don’t miss this’ but there was a part of me like, ‘he has missed a couple today’ and I thought we might not have another chance.”
France haka response in 2007
After the heartbreak of 2003, New Zealand assembled arguably an even more impressive squad for the 2007 World Cup in France. However, hosts France shocked the All Blacks in a famous quarter-final in Cardiff. Before winning the game 20-18, they stared down the haka – setting the tone.
BH: “You can capture that and show someone that and they would almost be able to recollect where they where.”
Kolisi lifting 2019 World Cup
Another iconic moment provided by the Springboks. Kolisi became the first black South African captain to lift the William Webb Ellis Trophy when they beat England 32-12 in Yokohama. He said victory would “pull the country together”.
BH: “The person, the inspiration, the story, the humility, the way he is using his platform to give back and make this world a better place. What he has done and is continuing to do – it transcends the game of rugby. I don’t think we have had other moments like that.”
Subscribe to the Rugby Union Weekly podcast
An initial version of this article included England’s response to the haka in 2019 in error. It has been replaced by Joel Stransky’s drop-goal.
