Ben Smith became the first player to receive a yellow card in a Rugby World Cup final. He was sin-binned for New Zealand during the 2015 final against Australia at Twickenham.
Smith was penalised in the second half for a tip tackle on Australia’s Drew Mitchell and spent 10 minutes off the field. New Zealand had built a 21–3 lead, but Australia used the numerical advantage to score tries through David Pocock and Tevita Kuridrani.
The scare did not change the result. New Zealand recovered to win 34–17, retaining the Webb Ellis Cup and becoming the first team to win successive Rugby World Cup titles. Ben Smith’s card remains a notable final statistic because earlier championship deciders had produced no yellow-card recipient.
A common mix-up concerns 2023: Sam Cane became the first player sent off in a men’s Rugby World Cup final, after his yellow card was upgraded to red. That was a different record.