Results of Defending Champions
A defending champion has never won the World Cup. The best result is runners-up by Australia and England in 2003 and 2007, respectively. The worst results were by Australia in 1995 and South Africa in 2011, both exiting in the quarter-finals.
| Year | Defending champions | Finish |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | New Zealand | Third Place |
| 1995 | Australia | Quarter Final |
| 1999 | South Africa | Third Place |
| 2003 | Australia | Runners-up |
| 2007 | England | Runners-up |
| 2011 | South Africa | Quarter Final |
Read more about this topic: National Team Appearances In The Rugby World Cup
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—Hunter S. Thompson (b. 1939)