What rugby code is played at the Rugby World Cup?

The Rugby World Cup is played in rugby union. It is the sport’s premier men’s 15-a-side international championship, with teams competing for the Webb Ellis Cup.

Rugby union developed from the nineteenth-century football code associated with Rugby School in England. Its defining features include 15 players per team, contested scrums, line-outs, rucks and mauls. The first Rugby World Cup was held in 1987 in New Zealand and Australia, with New Zealand becoming the inaugural champion.

This answer is often confused with rugby league and rugby sevens. Rugby league generally has 13 players and different restart and tackling rules, while rugby sevens uses seven players and shorter matches. Rugby sevens has its own Rugby World Cup and is also an Olympic sport, but it is not the code used for the main Rugby World Cup.

The men’s Rugby World Cup is normally held every four years. The tournament expanded from 16 teams in 1987 to 20 teams in the modern competition, reflecting the international growth of rugby union.