Australia has the largest winning margin in a Rugby World Cup final, defeating France 35–12 in 1999. The 23-point margin remains the biggest in the tournament’s final-match history.
The final was played on 6 November 1999 at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium. France led 6–3 early, but Australia’s disciplined defence, territorial kicking and accurate goal-kicking gradually took control. Matt Burke supplied most of Australia’s points, while Ben Tune and Owen Finegan scored second-half tries.
The victory gave Australia its second Rugby World Cup title, following its 1991 triumph. The Wallabies became the first team to win the tournament twice, although South Africa later surpassed them in total titles.
This record is sometimes confused with the largest winning margin in any Rugby World Cup match, where much bigger score differences have occurred. The question concerns finals only, making Australia’s 23-point victory the canonical answer.