1999 Rugby World Cup in Review

Immerse yourself in the excitement of the 1999 Rugby World Cup here at RugbyPass. As the first Rugby World Cup of the professional era, our rugby gurus have explored every aspect of this exciting tournament. Here you’ll find details about legendary players, thrilling clashes and record-setting wins. 

Whether you’re feeling nostalgic or you want to elevate your tournament knowledge, keep scrolling for all of the statistics and details from the 1999 Rugby World Cup.

Where was the 1999 Rugby World Cup held?

Hosts: Wales
Champions: Australia 

The 1999 Rugby World Cup was held in Wales. But, although it was hosted by Wales, the organisers reached an agreement that allowed matches to be held by the other Five Nations unions. As such, the tournament’s 41 matches were hosted in five countries: Wales, England, France, Scotland and Ireland. 

The 1999 tournament featured two firsts: it was the first Rugby World Cup held during rugby union’s professional era, and it was the first to feature 20 teams. It also introduced a new qualification process that was determined by repechage.

Of these 20 teams, the Tri Nations sides steamrolled the competition. This included the final, which saw Australia beat France 35-12 to lift the Webb Ellis Cup.

1999 Rugby World Cup: Statistics

Below you’ll find all of the statistics from the 1999 Rugby World Cup. This includes the 20 participating nations as well as the venues, winners and top try scorers.

Participating nations

The 1999 Rugby World Cup introduced an updated qualification process. Unlike the 1991 and 1995 tournaments, only four nations received automatic qualification: the hosts Wales, former champions South Africa, runners-up New Zealand and third-place France. 

A total of 65 nations competed to earn the remaining 16 spots. Of these 65 nations, 14 directly qualified for the tournament. The final two places were decided by repechage. 

Here are the nations that competed at the 1999 Rugby World Cup:

• Africa: Namibia and South Africa

• Asia: Japan

• Americas: Argentina, Canada, United States and Uruguay

• Europe: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain and Wales

• Oceania: Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga

Matches, venues and attendance

The 1999 tournament was contested across 41 matches that were held at 18 venues. These stadiums were located in five countries: three in the host country Wales, five in France, four in England, three in Ireland and three in Scotland.

A total of 1,562,427 people travelled to these stadiums, and an average of 38,108 people attended each match.

Who won the Rugby World Cup in 1999?

Champions: Australia
Runner-up: France
Third place: South Africa

Australia were the 1999 Rugby World Cup winners. They won all six of their matches, including a tense extra-time victory against South Africa during the semi finals. Next, France finished in second place with five wins. They delivered five excellent performances before losing to Australia in the final.

As the reigning champions, South Africa finished in third place. The Springboks won five matches and lost one: their semi final clash against the Wallabies.

Top try and point scorers

New Zealand behemoth Jonah Lomu was the top try scorer at the 1999 Rugby World Cup. He scored eight tries during the tournament. To date, this remains a Rugby World Cup record.

Additionally, Argentina’s Gonzalo Quesada was the top point scorer. He scored 102 points during the tournament. This was just one point higher than Australia’s Matt Burke and five points higher than South Africa’s Jannie de Beer.

1999 Rugby World Cup: Pool stage review

Five teams stood out during the pool stage of the 1999 Rugby World Cup: Australia, England, France, New Zealand and the reigning champions, South Africa. Each of these five squads delivered strong performances that outclassed the opposition.

With the expansion of the tournament, the 1999 competition introduced a new and complex structure. Unlike previous years, the teams were divided into five pools of four. The five winners automatically progressed to the quarter finals. Meanwhile, the runners-up and top-ranking third-placed side competed in the quarter-final play-offs.

Like 1991 and 1995, each team played the other teams in their pool once. Each side earned three points for a win, two for a draw and the loser earned one for playing.

Pool A

Pool A was held in Scotland and featured Scotland, South Africa, Spain and Uruguay. Of these four teams, South Africa emerged as the winner. They won all three of their pool matches and finished with a +97 points difference.

Pool B

Played in England, pool B contained England, Italy, New Zealand and Tonga. Two teams trounced the opposition: New Zealand finished at the top of the table with a +148 points difference; England finished second with a +137 points difference.

This pool delivered the biggest margins of victory in the tournament: New Zealand defeated Italy 101-3 and England beat Tonga 101-10.

Pool C

Pool C was contested in France by Canada, Fiji, France and Namibia. Buoyed by their home crowd, France finished in first place. They won all three of their games and beat Fiji to the top spot.

Pool D

Held in Wales, pool D comprised Argentina, Japan, Samoa and Wales. This was a hard-fought pool, with Argentina, Samoa and Wales winning two games apiece. However, Wales emerged at the top. They scored 14 tries and finished with a +47 points difference.

Pool E

Pool E was played in Ireland. This final pool consisted of Australia, Ireland, Romania and the United States. Australia delivered three decisive wins, and they won the pool with a +104 points difference.

1999 Rugby World Cup: Knockout stage review

From the gripping semi final between Australia and South Africa to a faultless performance from the Wallabies in the final, here are the results from the knockout stage of the 1999 Rugby World Cup:

1999 Rugby World Cup quarter finals

The 1999 Rugby World Cup quarter finals consisted of four effortless wins. Australia defeated Wales 24-9 and South Africa enjoyed a 44-21 victory against England. Next, New Zealand beat Scotland 30-18 and France sailed through with a 47-26 win over Argentina.

By the end of the quarter finals, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and France progressed to the semi finals.

1999 Rugby World Cup semi finals

The 1999 Rugby World Cup semi finals were held at Twickenham. Here, spectators enjoyed two dramatic encounters. First, former champions South Africa faced Australia. Just like the game between Ireland and Argentina, all eyes were on two players: Matt Burke and Jannie de Beer. 

The Wallabies launched attack after attack while Burke booted point after point. It was a similar story for the Springboks, with de Beer completing six penalties. By the 80th minute, the score was tied 18-18. However, in extra time, the boots of Burke and Stephen Larkham secured Australia’s 27-21 victory. 

Next, Les Bleus enjoyed a triumphant 43-31 win against the All Blacks. As the underdogs, France were down 24-10 at half time. Determined, the French side rallied during the second half. Despite Jonah Lomu and Andrew Mehrtens’ best efforts, nothing could stop Christophe Lamaison and his metronomic kicking. As a result, France triumphed 43-31.

1999 Rugby World Cup third-place play-off

The third-place play-off was held at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. It featured a showdown between New Zealand and South Africa. Both teams put up a good fight, but the Springboks walked away with the win. They beat New Zealand 22-18 to take third place.

Mehrtens proved his worth by converting six penalties for the All Blacks. Meanwhile, Breyton Paulse, Henry Honiball and Percy Montgomery scored the points for the Springboks.

1999 Rugby World Cup final 

The 1999 Rugby World Cup final was a one-sided game. The final was contested by Australia and France at Millennium Stadium on 6 November 1999. Here, the Wallabies conquered Les Bleus 35-12.

Australia played with a fervour that France just couldn’t match – even with their dirty tactics. Like in their semi-final match against South Africa, Burke was Australia’s most powerful weapon. He kicked seven penalties and two conversions. France were saved by Lamaison, who kicked all 12 of their points. 

After 80 phenomenal minutes, Australia emerged as the 1999 Rugby World Cup winners. They made history by becoming the first nation to win two titles. Additionally, the Wallabies remain the only team to win the Rugby World Cup after having to qualify for the tournament.

A New Era For The Rugby World Cup

After rugby union turned professional in 1995, the 1999 Rugby World Cup heralded a new era for rugby union. From Lomu’s try-scoring record to Burke’s boot, the level of talent during the tournament was evident. This culminated in hotly-contested matches and spectacular wins.

The 1999 competition also set the tone for future tournaments. Firstly, it was the first time this quadrennial competition had featured 20 nations. Secondly, Australia set a precedent by lifting rugby’s premier trophy for the second time. This is a feat that would be surpassed by New Zealand and South Africa in the years to come.