54 Rugby World Cup Trivia Questions with Answers
54 public questions with answers, drawn from the well. How many can you answer?
Rugby World Cup trivia spans tournament records, host nations, landmark matches, famous kicks, disciplinary firsts, and players who made history on the world stage. Questions may take you from the 1991 competition, when Western Samoa made its debut, to South Africa’s narrow quarter-final victory over France in 2023.
The category rewards both broad tournament knowledge and close attention to unusual records. You could be asked who kicked 31 penalties in the 1999 tournament, which player became the first to receive a yellow card in a final, or who scored five drop goals for South Africa against England. It suits serious rugby fans, international sports quizzes, pub competitions, and classroom tournament units.
Who kicked a record 31 penalties at the 1999 Rugby World Cup?
Answer
Gonzalo Quesada
Which team won the third-place play-off at the 1991 Rugby World Cup?
Answer
New Zealand
Which team made its Rugby World Cup debut by replacing Tonga in 1991?
Answer
Western Samoa
Who is listed as the youngest try scorer in a men's Rugby World Cup game?
Answer
George North
Who scored five drop goals for South Africa against England at the 1999 Rugby World Cup?
Answer
Jannie de Beer
Who holds the Rugby World Cup record for most overall conversions?
Answer
Dan Carter
Who holds the Rugby World Cup match appearance record with 26 matches?
Answer
Sam Whitelock
Which team reached its first Rugby World Cup semifinal in 2007?
Answer
Argentina
Which nation became the first to win four Rugby World Cups in 2023?
Answer
South Africa
Which organisation runs the Rugby World Cup?
Answer
World Rugby
What rugby code is played at the Rugby World Cup?
Answer
Rugby union
Which country won the 1999 Rugby World Cup final against France?
Answer
Australia
Who kicked New Zealand's decisive penalty in the 2011 Rugby World Cup final?
Answer
Stephen Donald
Which team lost to South Africa in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final?
Answer
New Zealand
Which player holds the career Rugby World Cup points record with 277?
Answer
Jonny Wilkinson
Which team did Japan famously beat at the 2015 Rugby World Cup in Brighton?
Answer
South Africa
Who scored a record 126 points at the 1987 Rugby World Cup?
Answer
Grant Fox
Which country is scheduled to host the 2027 Rugby World Cup?
Answer
Australia
Who was named player of the match in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final?
Answer
Pieter-Steph du Toit
Who was the oldest player to appear in a Rugby World Cup?
Answer
Diego Ormaechea
Who was the captain of the 2019 Rugby World Cup-winning team?
Answer
Siya Kolisi
Who scored the first try in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final?
Answer
Makazole Mapimpi
Which team won the Rugby World Cup in 2003?
Answer
England
Which two countries co-hosted the first Rugby World Cup in 1987?
Answer
New Zealand and Australia
Which player captained two Rugby World Cup-winning teams?
Answer
Richie McCaw
Which stadium hosted the 2015 Rugby World Cup final?
Answer
Twickenham Stadium
Which team has appeared in the most Rugby World Cup finals?
Answer
New Zealand
Who was the head coach of the All Blacks when they won the 2011 Rugby World Cup?
Answer
Graham Henry
Which player scored the most points in a single Rugby World Cup match?
Answer
Simon Culhane
Who was the captain of the 1995 Springboks team that won the World Cup?
Answer
Francois Pienaar
Which player was the top try scorer at the 2019 Rugby World Cup?
Answer
Josh Adams
Who scored the winning drop goal in the 2003 Rugby World Cup final?
Answer
Jonny Wilkinson
Rugby World Cup trivia — quick answers
What are good Rugby World Cup trivia questions?
Good Rugby World Cup trivia questions cover champions, hosts, final matches, famous players, scoring records, disciplinary milestones, debutants, and unusual tournament statistics. Strong quizzes combine landmark facts—such as the first tournament in 1987—with match-specific questions about penalties, drop goals, quarter-finals, and individual records.
How hard is Rugby World Cup trivia?
Rugby World Cup trivia is usually intermediate to difficult because it covers more than winners and host countries. Easier questions involve tournament years and champions. Advanced questions may require knowledge of individual matches, firsts, player records, third-place play-offs, yellow cards, and the history of emerging rugby nations.
When was the first Rugby World Cup played?
The first Rugby World Cup was played in 1987, with matches hosted in New Zealand and Australia. New Zealand won the inaugural tournament, defeating France in the final in Auckland. The competition established the men’s Rugby World Cup as rugby union’s premier international tournament.
Which team did South Africa beat by one point in the 2023 quarter-final?
South Africa beat France 29–28 in the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final in Paris. The match was one of the tournament’s closest and most memorable knockout contests. South Africa later defeated England in the semi-final and New Zealand in the final to retain the title.
Who scored five drop goals for South Africa against England in 1999?
Jannie de Beer scored five drop goals for South Africa against England in the 1999 Rugby World Cup quarter-final. His kicking performance helped South Africa win 44–21 in Paris. The record-setting display is one of the most recognizable individual feats in Rugby World Cup history.