The Rugby World Cup has grown into arguably the planet's third biggest sporting event behind its soccer equivalent and the Olympic Games.

That represents a remarkable rise for a tournament which began 20 years ago engulfed by apathy and uncertainty.

From a somewhat low-key 16-team competition hosted by New Zealand and Australia in 1987, it has become the focal point of a four-year Test match cycle throughout both hemispheres.

This year's tournament in France will see England attempting history, given that no world champion has successfully defended the Webb Ellis Trophy, while Australia os chasing an unprecedented third world crown and favourite New Zealand its first since 1987.

1987
New Zealand set the tone for a tournament it would dominate by demolishing Italy 70-6 in the inaugural World Cup game played at a half-empty Eden Park in Auckland. Winger John Kirwan's astounding 70m solo try remains one of the World Cup's great moments.

The Kiwis easily won their three Pool 3 matches, following the Italian slaughter with thrashings of Fiji (74-13 in Christchurch) and Argentina (46-15 in Wellington), while the Fijian's triumphs in their other two pool games got them through.

Wales topped Pool 2 largely thanks to its 13-6 win first-up over Ireland in Wellington, the Welsh and Irish also seeing off Tonga and Canada to book their passages to the quarter-finals, while Australia saw off England, the USA and Japan.

Pool 4 opened with two thrilling matches, Romania downing Zimbabwe 21-20 and France and Scotland drawing 20-20. From there France crunched the Romanians and then also the Zimbabweans, with the Scots doing likewise.

The Scots bowed out at Lancaster Park, Christchurch, where Grant Fox kicked 22 points in a 30-3 victory for the All Blacks, while tries from Robert Jones, John Devereux and Gareth Roberts eased Wales past a poor England outfit, with Ireland falling to Australia and France crushing Fiji.

The semi-finals - played in Australia - could hardly have proved more contrasting affairs.

New Zealand smashed Wales 49-6, yet all the drama was reserved for Sydney's Concord Oval where a dramatic late Serge Blanco try decided an epic encounter and accounted for the Wallabies.

Wales secured third place by pipping Australia in Rotorua, but the final went emphatically to form as David Kirk's All Blacks defeated France 29-9 back at Eden Park, the ground where it all began four weeks earlier.

Competing countries: Australia, England, USA, Japan, Ireland, Wales, Canada, Tonga, New Zealand, Fiji, Italy, Argentina, France, Scotland, Romania, Zimbabwe.