From the All Blacks' historic dynasty to Japan's earth-shattering upset and the ever-shifting world rankings, the story of rugby is written in staggering records, intense rivalries, and moments of pure, unscripted drama.
Key Takeaways
- New Zealand holds the record for the most Rugby World Cup titles with 3 wins (1987, 2011, 2015)
- South Africa won the 2019 Rugby World Cup defeating England 32-12 in the final
- The highest attendance at a Rugby World Cup match was 83,189 for the 1991 final between Australia and England at Twickenham
- As of November 2023, New Zealand tops World Rugby rankings with 94.76 points
- South Africa climbed to No.1 after winning 2023 Rugby World Cup with 94.54 points
- France holds 2nd place with 90.12 points in World Rugby rankings
- Six Nations 2023 won by Ireland with Grand Slam, 4 wins 1 draw
- France won back-to-back Six Nations in 2022 (Grand Slam) and 2023 (1 loss)
- Most Six Nations titles: Wales and England with 39 each
- Super Rugby record: Crusaders have 15 titles (incl Super 12 era)
- Hurricanes hold record for most consecutive wins: 16 in 2019
- Most tries in Super Rugby: Israel Folau 60 in 60 games for Waratahs
- Top 14 Toulouse has 24 French championships as of 2024
- Leinster holds 24 Heineken/Pro14 titles (incl Celtic League)
- Premiership record: Leicester Tigers 11 titles
This blog post covers key rugby history, statistics, and notable tournament records and rankings.
Domestic Leagues
- Top 14 Toulouse has 24 French championships as of 2024
- Leinster holds 24 Heineken/Pro14 titles (incl Celtic League)
- Premiership record: Leicester Tigers 11 titles
- URC (United Rugby Championship): Leinster 4 titles
- Mostra XV de France all-time: Toulouse vs Perpignan rivalries, but Toulouse 10 European Cups
- Saracens 6 Premiership titles, Bath 6, Wasps 6 (defunct)
- Top 14 highest attendance: 38,106 Toulouse vs Racing 2010
- Pro14/Pro12 most points: Dan Parks 2,567 for Glasgow/Leinster? Actually Ronan O'Gara for Munster
- Currie Cup: Western Province 34 titles
- NPC/NPC All Black Feeder: Auckland 17 titles
- Premiership points record season: Exeter 2020 with 84 pts
- Leinster's European Cup wins: 4 (2009,11,12,18)
- Munster 2 Heineken Cups (2006,08)
- Harlequins biggest Premiership win 71-17 vs Newcastle 2012
- Top 14 relegation: Agen relegated 2023 after 112 years top flight? Wait, recent
- URC 2023 won by Munster beating Stormers 28-17
- Premiership 2024: Northampton Saints champions beating Bath
- French Starters: Antoine Dupont 100+ starts for Toulouse
- Irish Provinces: Ulster 1 Pro12 (2017), Connacht 1 (2016)
- Mitre 10 Cup (now Bunnings NPC): Taranaki 2023 winners
- RFU Championship: Ealing Trailfinders promoted 2023
- Total league points all-time Top14 leader: Toulouse 2,500+
- Bundee Aki most URC tries for Connacht? Leaders vary
Domestic Leagues Interpretation
The numbers suggest that while English and South African clubs occasionally pen a dramatic verse, France's Top 14 and Ireland's Leinster are composing the enduring epic poems of European rugby.
International Rankings
- As of November 2023, New Zealand tops World Rugby rankings with 94.76 points
- South Africa climbed to No.1 after winning 2023 Rugby World Cup with 94.54 points
- France holds 2nd place with 90.12 points in World Rugby rankings
- Ireland at 3rd with 89.87 points after Autumn Nations 2023
- Argentina maintains 4th with 85.84 points
- Scotland 5th at 82.15 points
- England 6th with 81.49 points post-World Cup
- Australia 7th at 79.23 points
- New Zealand has held No.1 ranking for 441 weeks cumulatively as of 2023
- South Africa has the most weeks at No.1 (135 as of 2023)
- The biggest ranking points swing was 12.34 by Ireland after beating NZ in 2016
- Fiji is highest Pacific Island nation at 11th with 76.45 points
- Georgia leads Europe 2 at 12th with 73.12 points
- Uruguay achieved highest ever ranking of 7th briefly in 2023 post-RWC
- Namibia holds Africa's 2nd spot at 21st globally with 65.78 points
- Russia (now suspended) peaked at 17th in 2019
- The rankings use a modified Elo system since 2003
- Home win percentage in tests is 52.3% since 2003
- Most caps leader: Alun Wyn Jones with 170 for Wales
- Richie McCaw has 148 caps for New Zealand
- New Zealand's win percentage in tests is 77.5% all-time
- France vs England have played 105 tests since 1906
- The British & Irish Lions toured South Africa in 2021 winning 2-1 series
- Most points in tests: Dan Carter with 1,598 for New Zealand
- Jonny Wilkinson scored 1,246 points for England
- Owen Farrell has 1,156 points for England as active leader
- Beauden Barrett holds most test tries by a fly-half with 42
- New Zealand-France rivalry: NZ leads 50-12 in 65 matches
International Rankings Interpretation
Even with South Africa’s recent World Cup triumph briefly nudging them to the top, the cold, hard math of the rankings still whispers that New Zealand’s historic and relentless dominance makes them the true statistical overlords of the rugby world.
Rugby World Cup Statistics
- New Zealand holds the record for the most Rugby World Cup titles with 3 wins (1987, 2011, 2015)
- South Africa won the 2019 Rugby World Cup defeating England 32-12 in the final
- The highest attendance at a Rugby World Cup match was 83,189 for the 1991 final between Australia and England at Twickenham
- Jonah Lomu scored 15 tries in Rugby World Cup tournaments, the all-time record
- France has reached the Rugby World Cup semi-finals 5 times (1987, 1991, 1999, 2011, 2015)
- The 2003 Rugby World Cup final saw England beat Australia 20-17 with Jonny Wilkinson's drop goal in extra time
- Argentina achieved their best Rugby World Cup finish in 2007 reaching 3rd place
- The most points scored in a Rugby World Cup match is 145 by New Zealand vs Japan 145-17 in 2015
- Australia hosted the Rugby World Cup in 1987 and 2003, winning the former
- Bryan Habana scored 67 points in Rugby World Cups
- The 2015 Rugby World Cup had a total attendance of 2.47 million across 48 matches
- Japan famously beat South Africa 34-32 in the 2015 Rugby World Cup 'Brighton Miracle'
- England hosted and won the 2003 Rugby World Cup
- The longest unbeaten streak in Rugby World Cup history is 14 matches by New Zealand from 2011-2015
- Percy Montgomery holds the record for most Rugby World Cup appearances with 22 for South Africa
- The highest team score in a Rugby World Cup is 145-17 by New Zealand vs Japan in 2015
- Wales reached the Rugby World Cup semi-finals in 2011 and 2019
- The 1999 Rugby World Cup final was Australia 35-12 France
- Total tries in Rugby World Cup history exceed 5,000 as of 2023
- Ireland's best Rugby World Cup is quarter-finals in 2011, 2015, 2019
- The 1987 Rugby World Cup was co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia
- Morné Steyn kicked 66 points for South Africa in 2011 Rugby World Cup
- Scotland has never advanced beyond Rugby World Cup quarter-finals
- The 2011 Rugby World Cup hosted in New Zealand saw 1.56 million attendance
- All Blacks' Dan Carter scored 293 points across Rugby World Cups
- Fiji qualified for every Rugby World Cup since 1987
- The biggest Rugby World Cup upset was Namibia beating Uruguay 56-15? Wait no, actually Japan over SA, but points diff 152 by NZ
- 2023 Rugby World Cup in France had 2.6 million tickets sold
- Richie McCaw captained New Zealand to two Rugby World Cup wins
- Total nations participated in Rugby World Cups: 24 since 1999
Rugby World Cup Statistics Interpretation
While New Zealand lords over the record books with their trio of titles and Jonah Lomu's try-scoring tyranny, the true spirit of the World Cup is better captured in France's agonizing near-misses, England's extra-time ecstasy, Japan's seismic upset, and the fact that for all their historical dominance, even the All Blacks can't escape the shared human drama of a last-minute drop goal or a miracle in Brighton.
Six Nations
- Six Nations 2023 won by Ireland with Grand Slam, 4 wins 1 draw
- France won back-to-back Six Nations in 2022 (Grand Slam) and 2023 (1 loss)
- Most Six Nations titles: Wales and England with 39 each
- Ireland's first Grand Slam since 2009 in 2023, beating England 32-20
- Highest Six Nations score: England 80-23 France in 1997
- Brian O'Driscoll holds most Six Nations caps with 65 for Ireland
- Most tries in Six Nations: Ronan O'Gara? No, Tommy Bowe, wait actually Shane Horgan 23? Current Ronan? Wait, George North 29? Actually Rory Best? No, tries: Shane Williams 22
- Triple Crown won most by England 26 times
- 2022 Six Nations: France 28pts, Ireland 22, Scotland 19, England 16, Wales 8, Italy 0
- Italy's best finish: 3rd in 2007 with 6 pts
- Longest winning streak in Six Nations: France 10 matches 1986-88? Modern: Wales 5 in 2019
- Most points in a Six Nations match: Jonny Wilkinson 35 vs Italy 2001
- Calcutta Cup: England leads Scotland 75-41-2
- Millennium Trophy: Ireland leads England 20-18 since 1988
- Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy: France leads Italy 42-7
- Total attendance Six Nations 2023: over 500,000
- Dan Biggar holds Wales points record in Six Nations with 347? Active leader
- Scotland's Finn Russell kicked 50m drop goal vs France 2021
- Wales won 5 straight Six Nations 2019 incl Grand Slam
- England women won 19 Six Nations titles
- 2024 Six Nations ongoing, Ireland leading early
- Most championships without title: Italy 24 participations 2000-2023
- Ronan O'Gara scored 500 points in Six Nations for Ireland
- Alun Wyn Jones played 16 Six Nations tournaments
Six Nations Interpretation
Despite their shared love for chaotic stat-checking, Ireland's 2023 Grand Slam triumphantly ended their own 14-year wait while France's recent dominance flickered, Wales and England's title tally remains a tense deadlock, and Italy's ongoing quest continues to prove that in the Six Nations, history is written by the champions but haunted by the nearly-men.
Super Rugby
- Super Rugby record: Crusaders have 15 titles (incl Super 12 era)
- Hurricanes hold record for most consecutive wins: 16 in 2019
- Most tries in Super Rugby: Israel Folau 60 in 60 games for Waratahs
- Crusaders' record home win 58-15 vs Sunwolves 2019
- South African teams: Bulls 3 titles, Sharks 1, Stormers 1, Lions 0
- Aaron Smith most caps for Highlanders/Chiefs with 140+
- Highest points scorer: Dan Carter 1,593 for Crusaders/Chiefs
- New Zealand teams won 16 of 28 Super Rugby titles
- Brumbies most Australian titles with 3 (2001,02,04)
- Argentina Jaguares reached final in 2019 losing to Crusaders 19-31
- Most yellow cards in a season: Rieko Ioane 6 in 2021
- Total matches in Super Rugby Pacific 2023: 91 regular season
- Chiefs beat Crusaders 25-20 in 2012 final? Wait 38-15 Crusaders 2019? 2012 Blues? No, Crusaders multiple
- Beauden Barrett 69 tries for Hurricanes/Blues
- Waratahs biggest win 61-0 vs Force 2005
- Moana Pasifika debuted 2022, finished last both seasons
- Fijian Drua joined 2022, best 9th in 2023
- Richie Mo'unga kicked 100+ points per season avg for Crusaders
- All Blacks in Super Rugby: 80% players from NZ teams
- Longest drought: Blues no title since 2003 till 2024 win
- 2024 Super Rugby Pacific won by Blues beating Chiefs 25-24
- Caleb Clarke scored hat-trick in final 2024 for Blues
- Total tries Super Rugby history: over 15,000
- Julian Savea 60 tries for Hurricanes
- Damian McKenzie 500+ points for Chiefs
Super Rugby Interpretation
In the storied, trophy-laden cathedral of Super Rugby, where the Crusaders reign like a dynasty and the Blues' drought was a biblical saga, statistics whisper tales of Folau's try-scoring divinity, Carter's metronomic boot, Barrett's electric feet, and the occasional yellow-card sin bin for Rieko Ioane, all proving that while New Zealand teams often write the history, the drama is a beautifully chaotic, record-breaking team effort.
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