🕷️ Crawler Inspector

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Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 145 (from laksa095)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa145.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-the-rugby-world-cup.html\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-the-rugby-world-cup.html\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/articles\/what-is-the-rugby-world-cup.html","crawl_time":1776200113,"first_indexed_time":1513910032,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,worldatlas!www,\/articles\/what-is-the-rugby-world-cup.html s443","src_root_hash":"15884440289204951345","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"What is the Rugby World Cup?","meta_descriptions":["The next tournament of the World Rugby Cup will be held in 2019 in Japan."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"The winning team is awarded the William Web Ellis Cup. Editorial credit: Paolo Bona \/ Shutterstock.com\nThe world Rugby Cup refers to the rugby tournament that takes place every four years whereby the top international men’s rugby teams contest for the championship. The tournament was first held in 1987, hosted jointly by New Zealand and Australia. In the first tournament, 16 teams were invited to participate. In the most recent World Rugby Cup, New Zealand defeated Australia in the finals of the 2015 tournament which was held in England. The World Rugby Cup is managed by World Rugby. The next tournament of the World Rugby Cup will be held in 2019 in Japan. The 2023 event will be hosted in France.\nHistory\nPrior to the formation of the World Rugby Cup, there was no international rugby tournament. There were just a few rugby events, but they did not receive much recognition as the World Rugby Cup. Suggestions to form a Rugby World Cup were first discussed in the 1950s but not much was done. In the 1980s, the idea resurfaced. This time around, the idea was successfully discussed and the tournament was founded. The successful formation of the tournament is attributed to the Australian and New Zealand Rugby Unions who advocated for the formation of Rugby Cup in 1983 and 1987 respectively. The idea was taken for discussion and voting by the IRFB in 1985, passing by 10-6. Delegates from Australia, New Zealand, France, and South Africa supported the proposal and voted for it. Delegates from Ireland and Scotland were against the formation of the tournament. The remaining delegates, the English and Welsh, were divided.\nAward\nThe winners of the tournament are awarded the William Webb Ellis Cup. The award was named after William Webb Ellis, who is considered to be the founding father of rugby. Webb Ellis is recognized to have invented rugby after picking up the ball during a football match. In the first tournament, the William Webb Ellis Cup, or simply referred to as the Rugby World Cup, was selected as an award for the winning team. The cup was made in 1906 by Garrard’s Crown Jewellers. The 38 centimeter tall trophy is silver gilded in gold.\nSince its founding, only four countries have had a share of the championship. New Zealand has won the cup three times, Australia and South Africa have each won the tournament cup twice, and England has won the cup once.\nHosting\nThe choice of the host of the tournaments is usually reached upon after a vote by the World Rugby Council Members. The voting process, which is usually kept a secret, is managed by a team of independent auditors. The choice of host is usually decided upon five or six years prior to the actual tournament. For instance, as already stated, the 2019 and 2023 hosts have already been chosen. For a country to qualify as a host, The World Rugby requires it to have a venue which can accommodate at least 60,000 spectators for the final match. Alternatively, the host country can opt to build new or upgrade their already existing stadium for the purposes of the tournament. Japan has received the honor of being the first nation outside the renowned rugby traditional nations of SANZAAR to host the tournament.\nShare\nHome\nSociety\nWhat is the Rugby World Cup?","attrs_markdown":"# What is the Rugby World Cup?\n![The winning team is awarded the William Web Ellis Cup. Editorial credit: Paolo Bona \/ Shutterstock.com](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/r\/w1200\/upload\/51\/57\/38\/shutterstock-rugby-world-cup.jpg)\n\nThe winning team is awarded the William Web Ellis Cup. Editorial credit: Paolo Bona \/ Shutterstock.com\n\nThe world Rugby Cup refers to the rugby tournament that takes place every four years whereby the top international men’s rugby teams contest for the championship. The tournament was first held in 1987, hosted jointly by New Zealand and Australia. In the first tournament, 16 teams were invited to participate. In the most recent World Rugby Cup, New Zealand defeated Australia in the finals of the 2015 tournament which was held in England. The World Rugby Cup is managed by World Rugby. The next tournament of the World Rugby Cup will be held in 2019 in Japan. The 2023 event will be hosted in France.\n\n## History\nPrior to the formation of the World Rugby Cup, there was no international rugby tournament. There were just a few rugby events, but they did not receive much recognition as the World Rugby Cup. Suggestions to form a Rugby World Cup were first discussed in the 1950s but not much was done. In the 1980s, the idea resurfaced. This time around, the idea was successfully discussed and the tournament was founded. The successful formation of the tournament is attributed to the Australian and New Zealand Rugby Unions who advocated for the formation of Rugby Cup in 1983 and 1987 respectively. The idea was taken for discussion and voting by the IRFB in 1985, passing by 10-6. Delegates from Australia, New Zealand, France, and South Africa supported the proposal and voted for it. Delegates from Ireland and Scotland were against the formation of the tournament. The remaining delegates, the English and Welsh, were divided.\n\n## Award\nThe winners of the tournament are awarded the William Webb Ellis Cup. The award was named after William Webb Ellis, who is considered to be the founding father of rugby. Webb Ellis is recognized to have invented rugby after picking up the ball during a football match. In the first tournament, the William Webb Ellis Cup, or simply referred to as the Rugby World Cup, was selected as an award for the winning team. The cup was made in 1906 by Garrard’s Crown Jewellers. The 38 centimeter tall trophy is silver gilded in gold.\n\nSince its founding, only four countries have had a share of the championship. New Zealand has won the cup three times, Australia and South Africa have each won the tournament cup twice, and England has won the cup once.\n\n## Hosting\nThe choice of the host of the tournaments is usually reached upon after a vote by the World Rugby Council Members. The voting process, which is usually kept a secret, is managed by a team of independent auditors. The choice of host is usually decided upon five or six years prior to the actual tournament. For instance, as already stated, the 2019 and 2023 hosts have already been chosen. For a country to qualify as a host, The World Rugby requires it to have a venue which can accommodate at least 60,000 spectators for the final match. Alternatively, the host country can opt to build new or upgrade their already existing stadium for the purposes of the tournament. Japan has received the honor of being the first nation outside the renowned rugby traditional nations of SANZAAR to host the tournament.\n\n**Share**\n\n[John Misachi](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/contributor\/john-misachi)\n\nDecember 21 2017\n\nin [Society](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/society\/)\n\n1. [Home](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/)\n2. [Society](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/society\/)\n3. What is the Rugby World Cup?\n\n## Related\n[![Rugby Union and Rugby League differ in many ways, including the number of players per side. Editorial credit: A\\_Lesik \/ Shutterstock.com](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/r\/w1200\/upload\/32\/8a\/30\/shutterstock-740434426.jpg)](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/articles\/rugby-union-vs-rugby-league.html)\n\n### [Rugby Union vs Rugby League](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/articles\/rugby-union-vs-rugby-league.html)\n\n[![The New Zealand All Blacks performing the traditional Māori haka before the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Editorial credit: Paolo Bona \/ Shutterstock.com](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/r\/w1200\/upload\/6e\/98\/4c\/shutterstock-197716865.jpg)](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/articles\/top-8-rugby-teams.html)\n\n### [Top 8 Rugby Teams](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/articles\/top-8-rugby-teams.html)\n\n## More in [Society](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/society\/)\n[![infographic showing the 10 safest states in the US](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/r\/w1200\/upload\/60\/e5\/32\/safest-states-us-2-s3cdn.png)](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/crime\/the-10-safest-states-in-the-us.html)\n\n### [The 10 Safest States in the US](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/crime\/the-10-safest-states-in-the-us.html)\n\n[![An infographic showing the largest universities in Canada by enrollment.](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/r\/w1200\/upload\/1c\/7c\/58\/largest-universities-canada-s3cdn.png)](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/society\/the-largest-universities-in-canada-by-enrollment.html)\n\n### [The Largest Universities In Canada By Enrollment](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/society\/the-largest-universities-in-canada-by-enrollment.html)\n\n[![Mangyongdae Schoolchildren’s Palace, Pyongyang, North Korea. Editorial credit: tuzla\/ Shutterstock.com](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/r\/w1200\/upload\/a0\/25\/73\/shutterstock-2457948551-s3cdn.jpg)](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/society\/countries-with-the-strictest-dress-codes-50106.html)\n\n### [Countries With The Strictest Dress Codes](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/society\/countries-with-the-strictest-dress-codes-50106.html)\n\n[![infographic showing wet counties, wet counties with dry towns, moist counties, dry counties with wet towns, dry counties](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/r\/w1200\/upload\/19\/a1\/9e\/dry-and-wet-us-s3cdn.png)](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/society\/dry-counties-of-the-united-states.html)\n\n### [Dry Counties of the United States](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/society\/dry-counties-of-the-united-states.html)\n\n[![This could be you...If you know where to look\\!](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/r\/w1200\/upload\/9a\/d7\/92\/994\/this-could-be-you.jpg)](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/society\/countries-with-zero-income-tax-for-digital-nomads-2025.html)\n\n### [Countries With Zero Income Tax For Digital Nomads](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/society\/countries-with-zero-income-tax-for-digital-nomads-2025.html)\n\n[![infographic showing US States by obesity rate](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/r\/w1200\/upload\/13\/b3\/fc\/obesity-rate-us-s3cdn.png)](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/society\/10-u-s-states-with-the-highest-obesity-rates.html)\n\n### [10 U.S. States With The Highest Obesity Rates](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/society\/10-u-s-states-with-the-highest-obesity-rates.html)\n\n[![infographic showing the biggest hockey arenas in North America](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/r\/w1200\/upload\/3c\/6a\/f9\/largest-hockey-stadiums-s3cdn.png)](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/sports\/the-10-largest-nhl-arenas-in-north-america.html)\n\n### [The 10 Largest NHL Arenas in North America](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/sports\/the-10-largest-nhl-arenas-in-north-america.html)\n\n[![infographic showing the most dangerous states in the US](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/r\/w1200\/upload\/c4\/ce\/82\/us-states-by-crime-rate-s3cdn.png)](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/crime\/10-u-s-states-with-the-highest-crime-rates.html)\n\n### [10 U.S. States With The Highest Crime Rates](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/crime\/10-u-s-states-with-the-highest-crime-rates.html)\n\n[![infographic of US states by unemployment rate](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/r\/w1200\/upload\/32\/dd\/21\/us-unemployment-rates-s3cdn.png)](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/society\/10-u-s-states-with-the-highest-unemployment-rates.html)\n\n### [10 U.S. States With The Highest Unemployment Rates](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/society\/10-u-s-states-with-the-highest-unemployment-rates.html)\n\n[![infographic showing US States by average grocery Bill](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/r\/w1200\/upload\/9a\/ea\/56\/us-states-by-average-grocery-bill-s3cdn.png)](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/society\/10-u-s-states-with-the-highest-grocery-bills.html)\n\n### [10 U.S. States With the Highest Grocery Bills](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/society\/10-u-s-states-with-the-highest-grocery-bills.html)\n\n[![infographic showing the 10 longest serving popes in history](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/r\/w1200\/upload\/b3\/40\/76\/longest-serving-popes-s3cdn.png)](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/religion\/10-longest-serving-popes-in-history.html)\n\n### [10 Longest Serving Popes In History](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/religion\/10-longest-serving-popes-in-history.html)\n\n[![Government spending on education is one of the main factors involved in the nearly 100% literacy rates of countries like Finland.](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/r\/w1200\/upload\/05\/34\/9f\/literacy-rates-s3cdn.png)](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/society\/countries-by-literacy-rate.html)\n\n### [Countries By Literacy Rate](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/society\/countries-by-literacy-rate.html)\n\n![WorldAtlas Logo](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/nwa_assets\/img\/site\/wa2_logo_text_white.svg)\n\nAll maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions © 2026 worldatlas.com\n\n- [Home](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/)\n- [Contact Us](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/contact)\n- [Privacy](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/privacy-policy)\n- [Copyright](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/copyright)\n- [About Us](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/about)\n- [Fact Checking Policy](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/fact-checking-policy)\n- [Corrections Policy](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/corrections-policy)\n- [Ownership Policy](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/ownership-policy)\n\n- Continents\n  - [All Continents](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/continents)\n  - [North America](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/webimage\/countrys\/na.htm)\n  - [Caribbean](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/webimage\/countrys\/carib.htm)\n  - [Central America](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/webimage\/countrys\/camerica.htm)\n  - [South America](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/continents\/south-america.html)\n  - [Europe](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/webimage\/countrys\/eu.htm)\n  - [Africa](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/webimage\/countrys\/af.htm)\n  - [Middle East](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/webimage\/countrys\/me.htm)\n  - [Asia](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/webimage\/countrys\/as.htm)\n  - [Oceania](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/webimage\/countrys\/au.htm)\n  - [Arctic](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/webimage\/countrys\/polar\/arctic.htm)\n  - [Antarctica](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/webimage\/countrys\/an.htm)\n- Countries\n  - [All Countries](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/countries)\n  - [US Maps](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/maps\/united-states)\n  - [China Maps](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/maps\/china)\n  - [Russia Maps](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/maps\/russia)\n  - [Philippines Maps](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/maps\/philippines)\n  - [Egypt Maps](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/maps\/egypt)\n- Geography\n  - [Bodies of Water](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/bodies-of-water\/)\n  - [Landforms](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/landforms\/)\n  - [Places](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/places\/)\n  - [Nature](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/nature\/)\n  - [All Geography](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/geography\/)\n- Education\n  - [History](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/history\/)\n  - [Science](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/science\/)\n- Social Science\n  - [Society](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/society\/)\n  - [Economics](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/economics\/)\n  - [Politics](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/politics\/)\n\n- [About Us](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/about)\n- [Contact Us](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/contact)\n- [Privacy](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/privacy-policy)\n- [Copyright](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/copyright)","attrs_readable_markdown":"![The winning team is awarded the William Web Ellis Cup. Editorial credit: Paolo Bona \/ Shutterstock.com](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/r\/w1200\/upload\/51\/57\/38\/shutterstock-rugby-world-cup.jpg)\n\nThe winning team is awarded the William Web Ellis Cup. Editorial credit: Paolo Bona \/ Shutterstock.com\n\nThe world Rugby Cup refers to the rugby tournament that takes place every four years whereby the top international men’s rugby teams contest for the championship. The tournament was first held in 1987, hosted jointly by New Zealand and Australia. In the first tournament, 16 teams were invited to participate. In the most recent World Rugby Cup, New Zealand defeated Australia in the finals of the 2015 tournament which was held in England. The World Rugby Cup is managed by World Rugby. The next tournament of the World Rugby Cup will be held in 2019 in Japan. The 2023 event will be hosted in France.\n\n## History\nPrior to the formation of the World Rugby Cup, there was no international rugby tournament. There were just a few rugby events, but they did not receive much recognition as the World Rugby Cup. Suggestions to form a Rugby World Cup were first discussed in the 1950s but not much was done. In the 1980s, the idea resurfaced. This time around, the idea was successfully discussed and the tournament was founded. The successful formation of the tournament is attributed to the Australian and New Zealand Rugby Unions who advocated for the formation of Rugby Cup in 1983 and 1987 respectively. The idea was taken for discussion and voting by the IRFB in 1985, passing by 10-6. Delegates from Australia, New Zealand, France, and South Africa supported the proposal and voted for it. Delegates from Ireland and Scotland were against the formation of the tournament. The remaining delegates, the English and Welsh, were divided.\n\n## Award\nThe winners of the tournament are awarded the William Webb Ellis Cup. The award was named after William Webb Ellis, who is considered to be the founding father of rugby. Webb Ellis is recognized to have invented rugby after picking up the ball during a football match. In the first tournament, the William Webb Ellis Cup, or simply referred to as the Rugby World Cup, was selected as an award for the winning team. The cup was made in 1906 by Garrard’s Crown Jewellers. The 38 centimeter tall trophy is silver gilded in gold.\n\nSince its founding, only four countries have had a share of the championship. New Zealand has won the cup three times, Australia and South Africa have each won the tournament cup twice, and England has won the cup once.\n\n## Hosting\nThe choice of the host of the tournaments is usually reached upon after a vote by the World Rugby Council Members. The voting process, which is usually kept a secret, is managed by a team of independent auditors. The choice of host is usually decided upon five or six years prior to the actual tournament. For instance, as already stated, the 2019 and 2023 hosts have already been chosen. For a country to qualify as a host, The World Rugby requires it to have a venue which can accommodate at least 60,000 spectators for the final match. Alternatively, the host country can opt to build new or upgrade their already existing stadium for the purposes of the tournament. Japan has received the honor of being the first nation outside the renowned rugby traditional nations of SANZAAR to host the tournament.\n\n**Share**\n\n1. [Home](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/)\n2. [Society](https:\/\/www.worldatlas.com\/society\/)\n3. What is the Rugby World Cup?","meta_canonical":null}

3. Robots.txt Check

Query:

Response:

4. Spam/Ban Check

Query:

Response:

5. Seen Status Check

ℹ️ Skipped - page is already crawled

📄

INDEXABLE

✅

CRAWLED

21 hours ago

🤖

ROBOTS ALLOWED

Page Info Filters

Filter	Status	Condition	Details
HTTP status	PASS	`download_http_code = 200`	HTTP 200
Age cutoff	PASS	`download_stamp > now() - 6 MONTH`	0 months ago
History drop	PASS	`isNull(history_drop_reason)`	No drop reason
Spam/ban	PASS	`fh_dont_index != 1 AND ml_spam_score = 0`	ml_spam_score=0
Canonical	PASS	`meta_canonical IS NULL OR = '' OR = src_unparsed`	Not set

Page Details

Property	Value
URL	https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-the-rugby-world-cup.html
Last Crawled	2026-04-14 20:55:13 (21 hours ago)
First Indexed	2017-12-22 02:33:52 (8 years ago)
HTTP Status Code	200
Meta Title	What is the Rugby World Cup?
Meta Description	The next tournament of the World Rugby Cup will be held in 2019 in Japan.
Meta Canonical	null
Boilerpipe Text	The winning team is awarded the William Web Ellis Cup. Editorial credit: Paolo Bona / Shutterstock.com The world Rugby Cup refers to the rugby tournament that takes place every four years whereby the top international men’s rugby teams contest for the championship. The tournament was first held in 1987, hosted jointly by New Zealand and Australia. In the first tournament, 16 teams were invited to participate. In the most recent World Rugby Cup, New Zealand defeated Australia in the finals of the 2015 tournament which was held in England. The World Rugby Cup is managed by World Rugby. The next tournament of the World Rugby Cup will be held in 2019 in Japan. The 2023 event will be hosted in France. History Prior to the formation of the World Rugby Cup, there was no international rugby tournament. There were just a few rugby events, but they did not receive much recognition as the World Rugby Cup. Suggestions to form a Rugby World Cup were first discussed in the 1950s but not much was done. In the 1980s, the idea resurfaced. This time around, the idea was successfully discussed and the tournament was founded. The successful formation of the tournament is attributed to the Australian and New Zealand Rugby Unions who advocated for the formation of Rugby Cup in 1983 and 1987 respectively. The idea was taken for discussion and voting by the IRFB in 1985, passing by 10-6. Delegates from Australia, New Zealand, France, and South Africa supported the proposal and voted for it. Delegates from Ireland and Scotland were against the formation of the tournament. The remaining delegates, the English and Welsh, were divided. Award The winners of the tournament are awarded the William Webb Ellis Cup. The award was named after William Webb Ellis, who is considered to be the founding father of rugby. Webb Ellis is recognized to have invented rugby after picking up the ball during a football match. In the first tournament, the William Webb Ellis Cup, or simply referred to as the Rugby World Cup, was selected as an award for the winning team. The cup was made in 1906 by Garrard’s Crown Jewellers. The 38 centimeter tall trophy is silver gilded in gold. Since its founding, only four countries have had a share of the championship. New Zealand has won the cup three times, Australia and South Africa have each won the tournament cup twice, and England has won the cup once. Hosting The choice of the host of the tournaments is usually reached upon after a vote by the World Rugby Council Members. The voting process, which is usually kept a secret, is managed by a team of independent auditors. The choice of host is usually decided upon five or six years prior to the actual tournament. For instance, as already stated, the 2019 and 2023 hosts have already been chosen. For a country to qualify as a host, The World Rugby requires it to have a venue which can accommodate at least 60,000 spectators for the final match. Alternatively, the host country can opt to build new or upgrade their already existing stadium for the purposes of the tournament. Japan has received the honor of being the first nation outside the renowned rugby traditional nations of SANZAAR to host the tournament. Share Home Society What is the Rugby World Cup?
Markdown	# What is the Rugby World Cup? ![The winning team is awarded the William Web Ellis Cup. Editorial credit: Paolo Bona / Shutterstock.com](https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w1200/upload/51/57/38/shutterstock-rugby-world-cup.jpg) The winning team is awarded the William Web Ellis Cup. Editorial credit: Paolo Bona / Shutterstock.com The world Rugby Cup refers to the rugby tournament that takes place every four years whereby the top international men’s rugby teams contest for the championship. The tournament was first held in 1987, hosted jointly by New Zealand and Australia. In the first tournament, 16 teams were invited to participate. In the most recent World Rugby Cup, New Zealand defeated Australia in the finals of the 2015 tournament which was held in England. The World Rugby Cup is managed by World Rugby. The next tournament of the World Rugby Cup will be held in 2019 in Japan. The 2023 event will be hosted in France. ## History Prior to the formation of the World Rugby Cup, there was no international rugby tournament. There were just a few rugby events, but they did not receive much recognition as the World Rugby Cup. Suggestions to form a Rugby World Cup were first discussed in the 1950s but not much was done. In the 1980s, the idea resurfaced. This time around, the idea was successfully discussed and the tournament was founded. The successful formation of the tournament is attributed to the Australian and New Zealand Rugby Unions who advocated for the formation of Rugby Cup in 1983 and 1987 respectively. The idea was taken for discussion and voting by the IRFB in 1985, passing by 10-6. Delegates from Australia, New Zealand, France, and South Africa supported the proposal and voted for it. Delegates from Ireland and Scotland were against the formation of the tournament. The remaining delegates, the English and Welsh, were divided. ## Award The winners of the tournament are awarded the William Webb Ellis Cup. The award was named after William Webb Ellis, who is considered to be the founding father of rugby. Webb Ellis is recognized to have invented rugby after picking up the ball during a football match. In the first tournament, the William Webb Ellis Cup, or simply referred to as the Rugby World Cup, was selected as an award for the winning team. The cup was made in 1906 by Garrard’s Crown Jewellers. The 38 centimeter tall trophy is silver gilded in gold. Since its founding, only four countries have had a share of the championship. New Zealand has won the cup three times, Australia and South Africa have each won the tournament cup twice, and England has won the cup once. ## Hosting The choice of the host of the tournaments is usually reached upon after a vote by the World Rugby Council Members. The voting process, which is usually kept a secret, is managed by a team of independent auditors. The choice of host is usually decided upon five or six years prior to the actual tournament. For instance, as already stated, the 2019 and 2023 hosts have already been chosen. For a country to qualify as a host, The World Rugby requires it to have a venue which can accommodate at least 60,000 spectators for the final match. Alternatively, the host country can opt to build new or upgrade their already existing stadium for the purposes of the tournament. Japan has received the honor of being the first nation outside the renowned rugby traditional nations of SANZAAR to host the tournament. Share [John Misachi](https://www.worldatlas.com/contributor/john-misachi) December 21 2017 in [Society](https://www.worldatlas.com/society/) 1. [Home](https://www.worldatlas.com/) 2. [Society](https://www.worldatlas.com/society/) 3. 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Readable Markdown	![The winning team is awarded the William Web Ellis Cup. Editorial credit: Paolo Bona / Shutterstock.com](https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w1200/upload/51/57/38/shutterstock-rugby-world-cup.jpg) The winning team is awarded the William Web Ellis Cup. Editorial credit: Paolo Bona / Shutterstock.com The world Rugby Cup refers to the rugby tournament that takes place every four years whereby the top international men’s rugby teams contest for the championship. The tournament was first held in 1987, hosted jointly by New Zealand and Australia. In the first tournament, 16 teams were invited to participate. In the most recent World Rugby Cup, New Zealand defeated Australia in the finals of the 2015 tournament which was held in England. The World Rugby Cup is managed by World Rugby. The next tournament of the World Rugby Cup will be held in 2019 in Japan. The 2023 event will be hosted in France. ## History Prior to the formation of the World Rugby Cup, there was no international rugby tournament. There were just a few rugby events, but they did not receive much recognition as the World Rugby Cup. Suggestions to form a Rugby World Cup were first discussed in the 1950s but not much was done. In the 1980s, the idea resurfaced. This time around, the idea was successfully discussed and the tournament was founded. The successful formation of the tournament is attributed to the Australian and New Zealand Rugby Unions who advocated for the formation of Rugby Cup in 1983 and 1987 respectively. The idea was taken for discussion and voting by the IRFB in 1985, passing by 10-6. Delegates from Australia, New Zealand, France, and South Africa supported the proposal and voted for it. Delegates from Ireland and Scotland were against the formation of the tournament. The remaining delegates, the English and Welsh, were divided. ## Award The winners of the tournament are awarded the William Webb Ellis Cup. The award was named after William Webb Ellis, who is considered to be the founding father of rugby. Webb Ellis is recognized to have invented rugby after picking up the ball during a football match. In the first tournament, the William Webb Ellis Cup, or simply referred to as the Rugby World Cup, was selected as an award for the winning team. The cup was made in 1906 by Garrard’s Crown Jewellers. The 38 centimeter tall trophy is silver gilded in gold. Since its founding, only four countries have had a share of the championship. New Zealand has won the cup three times, Australia and South Africa have each won the tournament cup twice, and England has won the cup once. ## Hosting The choice of the host of the tournaments is usually reached upon after a vote by the World Rugby Council Members. The voting process, which is usually kept a secret, is managed by a team of independent auditors. The choice of host is usually decided upon five or six years prior to the actual tournament. For instance, as already stated, the 2019 and 2023 hosts have already been chosen. For a country to qualify as a host, The World Rugby requires it to have a venue which can accommodate at least 60,000 spectators for the final match. Alternatively, the host country can opt to build new or upgrade their already existing stadium for the purposes of the tournament. Japan has received the honor of being the first nation outside the renowned rugby traditional nations of SANZAAR to host the tournament. Share 1. [Home](https://www.worldatlas.com/) 2. [Society](https://www.worldatlas.com/society/) 3. What is the Rugby World Cup?
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