2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board (IRB) selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005. The IRB Council eliminated South Africa in the first of two rounds of voting.
The tournament was won by New Zealand, who defeated France 8–7 in the final. South Africa, the defending champions, were eliminated by Australia 11–9 in the quarter-finals.
It was the largest sporting event ever held in New Zealand, eclipsing the 1987 Rugby World Cup, 1990 Commonwealth Games, 1992 Cricket World Cup and the 2003 America's Cup. The organisers expected 95,000 visitors from overseas to travel to New Zealand for the event.[4]