Which team reached its first Rugby World Cup semifinal in 2007?

Argentina reached its first Rugby World Cup semifinal in 2007. Los Pumas beat Scotland 19–13 in the quarter-final in Paris before losing 37–13 to eventual champions South Africa in the semifinal.

The 2007 tournament marked a breakthrough for Argentine rugby. Argentina opened the competition by defeating host nation France 17–12 at the Stade de France, then topped Pool D with four wins. Its quarter-final victory over Scotland secured the country’s first appearance in the last four of the tournament.

Argentina did not reach the final, but it finished third after beating France 34–10 in the bronze final. That result gave Los Pumas their best Rugby World Cup finish at the time and confirmed them as a major force in the international game.

The achievement is sometimes confused with Argentina’s later semifinal appearances. The team also reached the semifinals in 2015 and 2023, but 2007 was the breakthrough year. Scotland, Ireland and Fiji were all strong rugby nations, yet none of those teams made the 2007 semifinals; England and South Africa filled the other two places.