Rugby, divided into rugby league and rugby union, has a world cup for each version. The more famous is the Rugby Union World Cup, which didn't come into existence until 1987, interestingly enough, but which is now one of global sport's premiere tournaments.

While organizers tinkered with the idea of implementing a global rugby world cup as early as the 1950s, there was opposition from the International Rugby Football Board (IRFB, now, International Rugby Board). Despite further resistance in 1983 from Ireland, Wales and England, primarily, the rugby boards of Australia and New Zealand went ahead with a proposition to host a world cup. The idea was approved two years later, with South Africa playing a large hand in the voting despite apartheid disallowing their involvement, and in 1987 the two trans-Tasman nations hosted the tournament. The All Blacks beat France 29-9, and a major sporting tournament was born.

The first Rugby Union World Cup included 16 teams; seven eligible teams and nine invited by the IRB. Since then, the format has changed slightly, in that eight of the possible 20 slots go to the quarter finalists of the previous tournament. Other sides contest the remaining 12 slots through qualifying tournaments held in the various regions, while two are assigned for participants that failed to meet qualifying standards by a small margin. In specific, this involves a runner-up from Africa and Europe taking on a runner-up from the Americas, and the same between Asia and Oceania.

As with most global tournaments, the Rugby Union World Cup has a group and knock-out stage, with the top teams from the previous tournament automatically divvied up into each pool. The qualifiers and losing quarter-finalists make up the other seeds. Each country plays four pool matches, the top teams progress up the ladder, and each pool's top contender plays the runner-up from another pool before the semi-finals and final. The next Rugby World Cup will be hosted in France during September and October of next year.

The second version, the Rugby League World Cup, was the brainchild of the French and was first held in 1953. Just four Test nations - Australia, Great Britain, France and New Zealand - were involved, with Great Britain beating France to take the title. The format was a league type, and continued until 1975, when instead of one nation hosting the event, matches were played on a home and away basis across the globe. The idea didn't catch on, and the Rugby League World Cup was shelved until 1995.

At this time, ten teams participated, including South Africa - the damning ban had been lifted three years earlier - Fiji, Tonga and Samoa, and the tournament was a smashing success. Australia beat England 16-8. In 2000, 16 teams were allowed, but in the next edition, in Australia in 2008, will see that number drop to ten.