2007 Rugby World Cup
The Rugby Union World Cup in 2007 was the sixth world championship in the history of rugby union. It took place from 7 September to 20 October 2007 in France, Wales and Scotland instead, with twenty teams in a total of 48 games competed against each other. Of these, 42 were playing in French stadiums, four in Cardiff (Wales ) and two in Edinburgh ( Scotland) discharged. The final was held at the Stade de France in Saint- Denis near Paris. World champion with a 15-6 final victory over the defending champions England team in South Africa, which after the success of 1995 for the second time could take the Webb Ellis Cup in reception. Third place with a 34:10 over France the team of Argentina. A total of 2,274,037 spectators attended the games in the stadiums, which means an average attendance of 47 376 per game.
86 countries participated in the qualification, which began in 2004. The eight quarter-finalists of the 2003 World Cup were automatically qualified (England, Australia, New Zealand, France, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, South Africa). Portugal first took part in a final round. For the hosting of the World Cup next to France and England had applied.
In German-speaking countries contributed DSF, Polsat Sport and TV5MONDE different games live and for recording.
- 8.1 quarterfinals
- 8.2 Semi-finals
- 8.3 final
- 9.1 Teams
- 9.2 Most points scored
- 9.3 Most scored tests
Qualification for the finals
Preliminary for the world championships were automatically eligible to start:
- World Cup 2003: England
- Vice World Champion 2003: Australia
- Semi-finalist 2003: France and New Zealand
- Quarter-finalists 2003: South Africa, Scotland, Ireland and Wales
Ten of the twelve other available seats in the tournament were filled by the winners of continental qualifying tournaments, two more followed in intercontinental Barragespielen. The qualification for the World Cup began on 7 September 2004 It was played for the following starting positions. :
- America: three championship courses
- Europe: 3 World Cup places
- Africa: 1 World Cup place
- Asia: 1 World Cup place
- Oceania: 2 championship courses
- And two intercontinental been played World Cup places
On July 16, 2005 Samoa and Fiji were determined as the representative of Oceania. As the first American team qualified on 8 July 2006 in Argentina, with a 26:0 victory over Uruguay. The second American team managed on August 12, 2006 Canada qualification, with a 56:7 victory over the United States. The latter sat down in early October in two play-off matches against Uruguay by and secured the third place.
The first seats in the European qualifying groups Italy secured on 14 October 2006 with 67:7 - away win against Russia and Romania against Spain away with 47:20. For the third time in a row, Namibia qualified for the finals after two victories against Morocco in November 2006.
End of October 2006, the International Rugby Board announced that the final round of the Asian group for safety will not go as planned in Colombo, Sri Lanka's capital, take place. Instead, she was held in Hong Kong. Japan secured the single Asian launch site. Georgia qualified against Portugal as the eighth European team for the World Cup.
In February 2007, the intercontinental Barragespiele started the last two remaining starting places at the World Cup. Advance had been determined that a space between the qualifier third of Oceania ( Tonga ) and Qualifying Second Asia ( South Korea) and that a second place among Europe's fourth-placed (Portugal ), Africa's Second (Morocco) and America's Fourth (Uruguay ) should be played. Ultimately, Tonga selling significantly through against South Korea and qualified as a fifth oceanic team for the final round and Portugal managed to the end of March to qualify for a victory over Uruguay.
Involved in the qualification and pre-qualified countries: Africa (orange ), America (green ), Asia ( pink ), Europe ( blue ), Oceania (yellow).
Participant
England England ( defending champion ) South Africa South Africa Samoa Samoa United States United States Tonga Tonga
Australia Australia Wales Fiji Fiji Canada Canada Japan Japan
New Zealand New Zealand Scotland Scotland Italy Italy Romania Romania Portugal
France France ( host ) Ireland Ireland Argentina Argentina Georgia Georgia Namibia Namibia
Venues
Only 1995 ( South Africa) and 2003 ( Australia) found the world championships in a single country. During 1987 Australia and New Zealand together fought out the first World Cup, the nominal host countries of England (1991) and Wales (1999) were taken from structural and organizational reasons, agreements to discharge several games in the other so-called Five Nations. So in 1991 and 1999, individual games were held in France.
In the 2007 World Cup 42 of 48 games were played in France itself. Three games in Group B (including with Wales ) and a quarter-final at the Millennium Stadium were held in Cardiff, while Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh was the venue of two matches in Group C. The French stages were the same as in the Football World Cup 1998. With Lens, Nantes and Saint- Étienne this also cities were considered, traditionally not considered to be rugby strongholds.
Originally some games in the Irish capital Dublin were provided, but due to scheduling conflicts in conjunction with the construction of the stadium Lansdowne Road abandoned the Irish Association of this possibility. In December 2005, the Scottish FA announced that it may sell its hosting rights to Wales. But these plans were dropped, and since April 2006 Edinburgh was definitely as one of twelve venues established.
Murrayfield Stadium ( 68,000 seats) Edinburgh, Scotland
Stade Vélodrome ( 59,500 seats) Marseille, France
Parc des Princes ( 47 870 places) Paris, France
Stade Félix Bollaert - ( 41,400 seats) Lens, France
Stade Gerland ( 41,100 seats) Lyon, France
Stade de la Beaujoire ( 38,100 seats) Nantes, France
Stadium Municipal ( 35,700 seats) Toulouse, France
Stade Geoffroy Guichard ( 35,650 seats) Saint -Etienne, France
Stade Jacques Chaban -Delmas ( 34 440 places) Bordeaux, France
Stade de la Mosson ( 33,650 seats) Montpellier, France
Tickets and sponsorship
The tickets for the World Cup were sold in three phases. The first phase began in November 2005, were able to pre-order as members of European and world rugby clubs and associations Ticket packages for certain teams. Individual tickets and tickets for semi-final matches were only in the third phase in November 2006 in the trade. In June 2007 more than 2 million of the 2.4 million tickets were to the games of the World Cup already sold.
The Official Worldwide Partner of the tournament were Société Générale, GMF, Electricité de France, Peugeot, Visa and SNCF. There was also the Official Sponsors Heineken, Vediorbis, Capgemini, Orange, Toshiba and Emirates. Gilbert designed the official tournament ball ( Gilbert synergy), which was used in the games of the World Cup. Thus, the tradition of Gilbert World Cup Soccer Ball with Barbarian (1995 ) Revolution ( 1999) and Xact (2003) continued. Other tournament sponsors were Adidas, Coca -Cola, Clifford Chance, Goodyear and McDonalds.
Official
The officials for the World Cup were announced in late April 2007. Twelve referees and 13 linesmen were determined. The Englishman Tony Spreadbury led the opening match between France and Argentina, the Irishman Alain Rolland the final between England and South Africa.
Tournament Rules
There were four preliminary round groups with five participants. Within each group, teams played against each other once each. The teams ranked 1 and 2 qualified for the quarter-finals. The third-placed teams secured the right to participate in the 2011 World Cup.
The distribution of points in the preliminary round took place according to the following bonus points system:
- 4 points for a win
- 2 points for a draw
- 0 points for a loss (before possible bonus points )
- 1 bonus point for four or more successful attempts, regardless of the Final
- 1 bonus point for a loss by seven or fewer game points difference
In case of equality of two or more teams the better table position would have been successively determined as follows:
The final round began with the quarter-finals. Every game had to necessarily end with a victory. Had it in a meeting after the regular playing time 80 minutes standing in a draw, extra time of 2 x 10 minutes would have followed. If still no winner has been determined, there would have been a further extension of ten minutes duration, Sudden Death. If after a total of 110 minutes after the last winner would still have stood firm, the winner would have been determined by performing kicks placed on the Torquerstange.
Preliminary round
- Qualified for the quarter-finals and World Cup 2011
- Qualified for World Cup 2011
Group A
In Group A, South Africa has, as expected, save it as a title favorite to win the group. So defending champion England was completely dismantled with 36:0. Only in the game against a very good playing the Springboks Tonga showed some weaknesses and could be wring a 30:25.
The second team is the world champion of 2003 England failed to qualify for the quarterfinals. Prior to the already low because of traded longtime weakness Championships, you could not convince against the U.S. and South Africa. In the games against the strong Polynesian teams Samoa and Tonga then ultimately succeeded yet to qualify for the knockout stages.
Tonga was close against South Africa at a surprise and managed the third place, the preliminary qualification for the next World Cup. The Samoans were the expectations that were set before the tournament in it, one was standing in the world rankings before the World Cup even before Scotland, not just and disappointed. The last placed the USA lost in each game.
Group B
After four clear and unchallenged victories, Australia continued as expected by the winner in Group B. Even the feared ' away' game against Wales in Cardiff could be recovered safely.
In second place, there was a big surprise. So the team of Fiji could play for the first time since 1987 to the quarter finals and defeat in the last match with Wales 38:34. What was a major success for the multiple world champion in sevens rugby, was a disaster for the Welsh, since the minimum goal the round of eight was so missed in the deciding game.
Japan, always represented as Asia's participants in the tournament, was the first time not to be last in its group. The draw against Canada and a bonus point from the scarce 31:35 defeat against Fiji ranged to complete before the North Americans in the table. Although Canada was consistently only good games, and even the 37:6 defeat against the powerful Australians was limited, the last place in the table was still a disappointment for the quarter-finalists in 1991.
Group C
New Zealand, who traded as a great tournament favorite World Champion from 1987, the Group C, dominated at will. So Italy and Scotland were handled by the All Blacks without an approximate chance of victory and was achieved with 309 to 35 points the quarter-finals as group winners.
The Scots were able to secure against the New Zealanders in the last game against Italy the quarter- finals after the defeat in front of a home crowd. What could be counted for the Scots as a success, meant for Italy again almost a failure in the previous round. So you still waiting in Italy for the first reaching the round of eight.
Romania and Portugal had expected no chance of reaching the quarter-finals, but were correspondingly good games. For example, in Portugal to evaluate thirteen points against New Zealand quite positive, even if they were bought with over a hundred counter- points.
Group D
Even the opening game of the tournament showed that the team - will be surprise team of this World Cup - despite notice. In the French National Stadium in Saint -Denis, France, the two-time World Cup champions and host of the World Cup, was defeated with 17:12 of Argentina. It followed on the part of South Americans further success against Georgia, Namibia and ultimately Ireland, so you reached unbeaten and loss- free spot the quarter-finals as group winners.
After the defeat against Argentina when the French still to avert the impending retirement with a strong game against Ireland and collect a second group in the next round.
For Ireland, previously traded as Europe's major titles hope and started as favorite in this group, the World Cup a disaster developed. Weak matches against the relative Rugby dwarfs Georgia and Namibia and two defeats against France and Argentina meant for the Irish overestimated the initial departure in the first round.
Georgia was on his second world championship his first victory celebration ( 30:0 against Namibia) and is one of the countries with a significant positive development in terms of rugby. So let the Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili after the brief 10:14 defeat against the top team in Ireland explain that government subsidies for the rugby to be significantly increased.
Although Namibia showed a good game against Ireland, but the first victory was still not succeed at this World Cup again.
Final round
Quarterfinals
The quarter-finals began on October 6, with two major sensations. To succeed the defending champion England with a strong storm unprecedented power to destroy the game of the favored Australians and defeat the men from Down Under 12:10. The Australians remained true to himself, to have not won a World Cup match since the World Cup victory in 1991 in the final in London against the British.
The second quarter-final should mean the elimination of the top favorites of New Zealand. By his second group had to place World Cup hosts France his game away from home in Cardiff unsubscribe. And as early as 1999 when the French at a World Cup game in the UK, to throw the All Blacks surprise of the tournament. By some action by the poor referee the French could win 20:18 and started as the strongest team ever New Zealand All Blacks had first time in history after the last eight the suitcase.
Fiji was also close against South Africa at a sensation. So you could balance lying in the meantime and outnumbered in the second half and was on the verge of their own leadership. However, it succeeded the Springboks in their own in-goal of this against the team from the South Pacific to defend and achieve the game-winning points in return. Fiji difference as one of the really positive surprises after its second quarter finals after 1987.
Argentina, grown after strong preliminary round for dark horses, let burn anything against Scotland, won deserved 19:13 and reached the semi-finals for the first time. The Scots had achieved their objective in full already by reaching the quarter-finals.
Semifinal
Due to the unexpected victory of Britain and France, it was clear that, contrary to the fears, no European team could achieve, at least one team from Europe would be in the final, the semi-finals. After France punchy launched in the encounter between the old rivals and took the lead, it was once again Jonny Wilkinson, who brought about the decision in favor of England shortly before the end of the game. England won 14:9, thus reaching the final and had the chance to become the first team to defend his title.
In the second semi-final game, the Argentines were the only time in the championship and lost a weaker performance earned against the team in South Africa. The 37:13 was a clear result and meant for the Pumas, the end of the dream of the great sensation, for the Springboks going further the mission world title.
Final
In the small final for third place, it was again the Argentines, who defeated France in front of a home crowd. Les Bleus again found no remedy against the South Americans and collected their third tournament entitled defeat. In Argentina the bronze medal was enthusiastically received in France, there was a hangover. After the tournament was announced that compared the ascended after the World Cup to the Sports Minister Bernard Laporte coach of the French under investigation for tax evasion.
In the final, the British failed to defend their title won in 2003. South Africa could total 15:6 win against England by criminal kicks from Montgomery and Steyn. The only attempt of the game for England was not given after several minutes of video evidence by the fourth official. The trophy was presented in the presence of South African President Thabo Mbeki.
South Africa ( Second title )
Statistics
Men
It is striking that by far the most points and attempts excreted in the quarter- finals of New Zealand team scored during the World Cup less only follows with nearly fifty points for second place. England reached just average twenty points in seven games, with this performance was still vice- world champion.
Nearly three hundred trials ( average 6.17 per game) are just fourteen Drop Goals ( 0.29 - only six teams scored points at all in this way ) against.
Overall, the great sportsmanship should be emphasized in this but there was a very physical sport during the entire tournament average of less than two yellow cards ( with a ten minute time penalty associated ) per team, and during the whole tournament only two red cards ever.
Most points scored
The most successful supplier of points in the world championships was the South African circuit player Percy Montgomery, who brought it in seven games to a total of 105 points. In addition, the English Jonny Wilkinson scored connector with 249 points, a new record for total points scored in World Cups, surpassing the previous record of Scots Gavin Hastings by 22 points.
Most scored tests
With a total of eight trials presented to the South African winger Bryan Habana a quarter the hitherto sole record for the most goals in a World Cup attempts by Jonah Lomu in 1999.