Which player scored the most points in a single Rugby World Cup match?

Simon Culhane scored the most points by one player in a single Rugby World Cup match: 45 points for New Zealand against Japan in 1995. His total remains the tournament record for an individual match performance.

Culhane played fly-half and full-back, positions that gave him frequent goal-kicking opportunities. Against Japan at Bloemfontein's Free State Stadium, he converted 20 tries and added a penalty, producing 45 points as New Zealand won 145–17. His 20 conversions in that match are also a World Cup record.

The performance is easy to confuse with other scoring records. Jonny Wilkinson holds the record for the most points across a World Cup career, while Grant Fox scored the most points in a single tournament, with 126 in 1987. Gavin Hastings also had a huge individual match total, scoring 44 points for Scotland against Côte d'Ivoire in 1995.

Culhane's record was helped by New Zealand's 145-point team total, still one of the largest winning margins in World Cup history.