1995 Rugby World Cup in Review

Recall all of the action from the 1995 Rugby World Cup right here at RugbyPass. With an appearance from Nelson Mandela to the waterlogged semi final, the 1995 tournament delivered some truly unforgettable moments. Whether you’re interested in learning about the squads or reminiscing over the results, our rugby gurus have compiled every detail.

Take a look below to revisit the greatest wins and biggest upsets from the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

Where was the 1995 Rugby World Cup held?

Hosts: South Africa
Champions: South Africa

The Rugby World Cup in 1995 was held in South Africa. It was the country’s first major sporting event after the end of apartheid. Additionally, it was the first Rugby World Cup to be hosted by one country. As such, all 32 matches were contested in South Africa.

Hosting the tournament was a momentous occasion for South Africa. Firstly, it came just three years after the IRFB readmitted the country into international competition. Secondly, the 1995 tournament was the last Rugby World Cup held during the sport’s amateur era. 

Just like the two previous competitions, 16 teams battled to win rugby’s premier prize. Although New Zealand entered as the standout favourites, South Africa seized the title. The Springboks beat the All Blacks 15-12 in a thrilling final that culminated in Nelson Mandela awarding the Webb Ellis Cup to François Pienaar while wearing a Springboks rugby shirt and cap.

1995 Rugby World Cup: Statistics

From the qualifying nations to the stadiums, as well as the final standings and top players, here are all of the key statistics from the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

Participating nations

The 1995 competition was contested by 16 nations. The first eight places were automatically filled by the eight quarter-finalists from the previous tournament. Plus, South Africa qualified automatically as hosts. A total of 45 teams competed for the remaining seven spots through regional qualifiers. 

Here are all of the countries that competed at the 1995 Rugby World Cup:

• Africa: Ivory Coast and South Africa
• Asia: Japan
• Americas: Argentina and Canada
• Europe: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Romania, Scotland and Wales
• Oceania: Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and Western Samoa

Matches, venues and attendance

Nine venues were used at the 1995 Rugby World Cup. This included six test grounds and South Africa’s finest stadium: Ellis Park. An average of 29,328 people attended each match with a total of 938,486 spectators across all 32 games.

Here are the 1995 Rugby World Cup venues:

Who won the Rugby World Cup in 1995?

Champions: South Africa
Runner-up: New Zealand
Third place: France

South Africa won the 1995 Rugby World Cup. The Springboks were formidable opponents. They outpaced the competition and won all six of their matches. In second place, New Zealand won five of their six games. The All Blacks were the tournament favourites and they posed a serious threat to the Springboks. However, their hopes were dashed when South Africa beat them in the final.

France took third place. Like New Zealand, Les Bleus also won five matches. They only lost one game: their semi final against South Africa.

Top try and point scorers

The 1995 Rugby World Cup featured some of the game's greatest names. This includes Thierry Lacroix, who was the tournament’s top point scorer with 112 points. Only one other player scored more than 100 points: Gavin Hastings secured 104 points for Scotland.

Two New Zealand players tied for the title of top try scorer. Marc Ellis and Jonah Lomu both scored seven tries apiece.

1995 Rugby World Cup: Pool stage review

The pool stage at the 1995 Rugby World Cup delivered some phenomenal victories and surprising losses. Just like in 1991, Wales made an early exit from the competition. The Welsh side lost two pool-stage games and failed to progress to the knockout stage.

The structure of the pool stage used a familiar format. The 16 teams were split into four pools, with two automatic qualifiers and two regional qualifiers in each pool. A total of 24 games were contested during the pool stage. Each team faced their pool opponents once and played a total of three matches.

As in the previous tournament, teams received three points for a win, two for a draw and the loser received one point for playing.

Pool A

Pool A contained Australia, Canada, Romania and South Africa. The Springboks overpowered their opponents from the outset. They secured three definitive wins and finished at the top of their pool.

The first game set the tone of the tournament. It featured a match between South Africa and Australia that saw the Springboks beat the Wallabies 27-18.

Pool B

Argentina, England, Italy and Western Samoa competed in Pool B. England won all three of their matches and sat at the top of the pool. The second qualifying team was Western Samoa.

Pool C

Pool C featured Ireland, Japan, New Zealand and Wales. Of these four teams, the All Blacks dominated the group. They finished at the top of the table with three wins and a +177 points difference.

Additionally, New Zealand also secured the largest winning margin of the 1995 Rugby World Cup. The All Blacks defeated Japan 145-17, which is a margin of 128 points.

Pool D

France, Ivory Coast, Scotland and Tonga contested Pool D. France won three games to emerge as the winners. Meanwhile, Scotland finished in second place.

This pool featured several spectacular matches. This included Scotland thumping Ivory Coast 89-0. Sadly, this pool also saw a catastrophe for one of the Ivory Coast players. Max Brito was crushed three minutes into the match against Tonga, an injury that left him paralysed from the neck down.

Following the pool stage, here are the eight teams that earned a spot in the knockout stage of the 1995 Rugby World Cup:

• Pool A: South Africa and Australia
• Pool B: England and Western Samoa
• Pool C: New Zealand and Ireland
• Pool D: France and Scotland

1995 Rugby World Cup: Knockout stage review

From South Africa’s annihilation of Western Samoa to the hard fought match between England and Australia, here are the teams and results from the knockout stage of the 1995 Rugby World Cup:

1995 Rugby World Cup quarter finals

The 1995 Rugby World Cup quarter finals consisted of three comfortable wins and one tense match. First, France defeated Ireland 36-12. Next, South Africa beat Western Samoa 42-14 at the iconic Ellis Park. Finally, New Zealand breezed through with a 48-30 victory against Scotland.

The most exciting quarter final was a nerve-racking match between England and Australia. England gained an early lead and overwhelmed the talented Australian side. However, the Wallabies played an almost faultless second half and levelled the score. Finally, a drop goal from Rob Andrew secured a 25-22 win for England.

This left four teams to compete in the semi finals: France, South Africa, New Zealand and England.

1995 Rugby World Cup semi finals

The semi finals at the 1995 Rugby World Cup delivered two gripping matches. The first was a fierce clash between South Africa and France. Despite their best efforts, Les Bleus came up short and the Springboks won 19-15. However, this match was less about the rugby and more about the conditions. 

Held at Kings Park Stadium, this game was postponed by over an hour as efforts were made to clear the waterlogged pitch. To date, it remains the wettest game in the tournament’s history. 

The second match saw New Zealand thrash England 45-29. Played at Newlands, the legendary Jonah Lomu made a mockery of the opposition. He scored four tries for the All Blacks, bulldozing through English players who failed to stop him reaching the try line.

1995 Rugby World Cup third-place play-off

The third-place play-off was contested by France and England. Held at Loftus Versfeld, the relentless French squad proved to be too much for the English side. Rob Andrew scored all of England’s nine points, but France racked up two tries and three penalties to win the match 19-9.

1995 Rugby World Cup final and Nelson Mandela

The 1995 Rugby World Cup final was a nail-biting encounter between South Africa and New Zealand. Held at Ellis Park on 24 June, both teams reached the final with an undefeated record. 

The 1995 South African rugby team was equally matched with the talented New Zealand lineup. The Springboks skilfully kept Lomu at bay but both teams failed to score a single try.

The match entered extra time and penalty goals from both teams kept the score level. However, Joel Stransky’s famous 1995 Rugby World Cup final drop goal cinched the win. As a result, the final ended 15-12 to South Africa.

The tournament’s iconic moment occurred after the final whistle, when Nelson Mandela, sporting a Springbok cap and jersey, awarded the Webb Ellis Cup to François Pienaar.

How did the 1995 Rugby World Cup unite South Africa?

The final of the 1995 tournament is one of the most famous moments in sporting history. Nelson Mandela’s decision to wear the green jersey at the 1995 Rugby World Cup was not without its controversy. However, he saw the power of sport as a means to unite a divided nation.

Nelson Mandela’s 1995 Rugby World Cup speech at the opening ceremony spoke of his hopes: “Your presence in South Africa affirms the unity in diversity, and the humanity in healthy contest, that our young democracy has come to symbolise.”

Mandela hoped to make the Springboks a team for all. Five years later, he proclaimed “sport has the power to change the world.”