"Clint Eastwood's Oscar-nominated 2009 film ""Invictus"", featuring Morgan Freeman as Mandela and Matt Damon as Pienaar (and including Chester Williams, a member of the 1995 champions, as a technical consultant), with the final as the climactic scene and filmed on location at Ellis Park. 1995 Rugby World Cup Final The 1995 Rugby World Cup Final was the final match of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, played in South Africa. The match was played at Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg on 24 June 1995 between the host nation, South Africa, and New Zealand. South Africa won the encounter by three points in"
"1995 Rugby League World Cup Final The 1995 Rugby League World Cup final was the conclusive game of the 1995 Centenary World Cup tournament and was played between England and Australia on 28 October 1995 at the Wembley Stadium in London, England. Australia won the final by 16 points to 8 in front of 66,540 fans. Australia, the defending champions, won the Rugby League World Cup for the 8th time. The pre-match entertainment for the Final was provided by British rock group Status Quo. 1995 was the year of the Super League war, with the new Super League causing a"
"1995 Rugby League World Cup The 1995 Rugby League World Cup was held during October in the United Kingdom. It was the eleventh staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was marketed as the Halifax Centenary World Cup, reflecting the tournament's sponsorship and the fact that 1995 marked the 100th birthday of the sport. Envisaged as a celebration of rugby league football, the size of the competition was doubled, with four additional teams invited and Great Britain split into England and Wales (Scotland and Ireland took part in the Emerging Nations Tournament that was held alongside the World Cup.)"
"to 62,000. Areas like the Presidential suite also received a facelift. There was also a hospitality room and new changing rooms. The total cost of renovations was R500 million and were completed in June 2008, two years before the World Cup. Ellis Park Stadium Ellis Park Stadium (known as Emirates Airline Park for sponsorship reasons) is a rugby union and association football stadium in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was won by the country's national team, the Springboks. The stadium was the country's most modern when"
"and he was out for the rest of the tournament. He was replaced at hooker by Gary Freeman playing his 45th and last test for New Zealand. 1995 Rugby League World Cup Group B 1995 Rugby League World Cup Group B was one of the three groups in the 1995 Rugby League World Cup. The group consisted of New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Tonga. Tonga looked to be pulling off the shock of the 1995 World Cup when they came from 12–6 down to lead New Zealand 24–12 with 20 minutes to go in the game at Wilderspool Stadium."
"1995 Rugby League World Cup Group B 1995 Rugby League World Cup Group B was one of the three groups in the 1995 Rugby League World Cup. The group consisted of New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Tonga. Tonga looked to be pulling off the shock of the 1995 World Cup when they came from 12–6 down to lead New Zealand 24–12 with 20 minutes to go in the game at Wilderspool Stadium. However, late tries to Hitro Okesene and Richie Blackmore (his second), both converted by Matthew Ridge who also landed a field goal in the dying moments, saved"
"1995 Rugby League World Cup knockout stage The 1995 Rugby League World Cup knockout stage took place after the group stage of the 1995 Rugby League World Cup and culminated in the 1995 Rugby League World Cup Final. The Semi-finals consisted of four teams; 1st and 2nd from Group A, 1st from Group B and 1st from Group C. Inspirational Welsh captain Jonathan Davies announced his representative retirement following the match. After showing very little form in their group games, New Zealand almost produced a boilover against Australia in Huddersfield. The Kangaroos were leading 20–16 with just 3 minutes remaining"
"their semi-final victory over pre-tournament favourites New Zealand. The overall attendance for the tournament was 1.75 million. The following 20 teams, shown by region, qualified for the 1999 Rugby World Cup. Of the 20 teams, only four of those places were automatically allocated and did not have to play any qualification matches. These went to the champions, runners-up and the third-placed nations at the 1995 and the tournament host, Wales. A record 65 nations from five continents were therefore involved in the qualification process designed to fill the remaining 16 spots. Wales won the right to host the World Cup"
"26–3 loss to Australia the following month. South Africa hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup, with a surge of support for the Springboks among the white and black communities behind the slogan ""one team, one country."" This was the first major international sports event to be held in the Rainbow Nation. By the time they hosted the 1995 World Cup, the Springboks, coached by Kitch Christie, were seeded ninth. They won their pool by defeating Australia, Romania, and Canada. Wins in the quarterfinal against Western Samoa (42–14) and in the semifinal against France (19–15) sent the Springboks to the final."
"Ellis Park Stadium Ellis Park Stadium (known as Emirates Airline Park for sponsorship reasons) is a rugby union and association football stadium in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was won by the country's national team, the Springboks. The stadium was the country's most modern when it was upgraded in 1982 to accommodate almost 60,000 people. Today, the stadium hosts both football and rugby and is also used as a venue for other large events, such as open-air concerts. It has become synonymous with rugby as the"
"particularly encouraging for the sport. For the 1995 tournament, a £10,000 cup was made by Tiffanys to celebrate the centenary of the game. The final between Australia and England drew a crowd of 66,540 to Wembley Stadium. Australia won the tournament, their eighth World Cup win and fifth in succession. Ten teams competed in the Centenary World Cup: Australia, England, Fiji, France, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, Tonga, Wales and Western Samoa. It was the first time since the 1975 World Series that the Great Britain team was split into England and Wales. Fiji, South Africa, Tonga and"
"with a 52–8 win over Zimbabwe. For the 1995 WC, Asia held its own tournament, with the winner qualifying for the finals. This time eight countries entered (Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand), and were split into two groups, with the winners of each group playing each other for the single qualification berth. The final play-off saw Japan beat South Korea 26–11. The group stages showed the inequalities in the Asian game; Japan won 103–9 against Malaysia, whilst Hong Kong thrashed Singapore 164–13. The World Cup itself did little to showcase Asian rugby, as"
"held in Japan, the first time in Asia. In the 1995 World Cup, Japan suffered a 145-17 loss to New Zealand, the second worst in the history of the tournament, at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein. At the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Japan beat South Africa 34–32 in their opening Pool B match, producing arguably the biggest shock in the history of professional rugby union. In the 2016 Super Rugby, the Sunwolves were defeated 92-17 by the Cheetahs, again at Bloemfontein. Rugby union in Japan is governed by the Japan Rugby Football Union. The Japan Rugby Football Union was"
"pace to out-distance Manly-Warringah teammate Ridge and bump off Sean Hoppe 5 metres from the line to score. 1995 Rugby League World Cup knockout stage The 1995 Rugby League World Cup knockout stage took place after the group stage of the 1995 Rugby League World Cup and culminated in the 1995 Rugby League World Cup Final. The Semi-finals consisted of four teams; 1st and 2nd from Group A, 1st from Group B and 1st from Group C. Inspirational Welsh captain Jonathan Davies announced his representative retirement following the match. After showing very little form in their group games, New Zealand"
"tournament saw the introduction of a qualifying tournament; eight places were allocated to the quarter-finalists from 1987, and the remaining eight decided by a thirty-five nation qualifying tournament. Australia won the second tournament, defeating England 12–6 in the final. In 1992, eight years after their last official series, South Africa hosted New Zealand in a one-off test match. The resumption of international rugby in South Africa came after the dismantling of the apartheid system, and was only done with permission of the African National Congress. With their return to test rugby, South Africa were selected to host the 1995 Rugby"
"won their first three matches and met in the final week, with an undefeated record, a Grand Slam, Triple Crown and the Calcutta Cup all at stake for the victor: however, this time it was England who prevailed in the deciding match. Even the minor placings were the same as in 1990, as France came third, Ireland fourth and Wales were whitewashed. The teams involved were: 1995 Five Nations Championship The 1995 Five Nations Championship was the sixty-sixth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. It was also the last Five Nations held in the sport's amateur era, as"
"were not expected to dethrone the incumbent champions Australia, who had not lost a game in the preceding 12 months. During the tournament, South Africa defeated Australia, Romania, Canada, Western Samoa and France. They then met New Zealand in the 1995 Rugby World Cup Final at Ellis Park Stadium. Springbok captain Francois Pienaar played on in extra-time despite a calf strain and the Springboks secured a three-point victory with a drop goal from Joel Stransky. During the remarkable post-match presentation ceremony, Nelson Mandela presented Pienaar with the Webb Ellis Cup while wearing a Springbok jersey bearing Pienaar's own number 6."
"only the top three places from 1995, along with the host nation, automatically qualified. Sixty-five rugby nations participated in qualifying competitions for the 1999 tournament, and the participating nations increased from 16 to 20. France's shock 43–31 semifinal win over the All Blacks is regarded as one of the biggest upsets and also one of the best games in the history of the World Cup. Australia defeated France in the final 35–12. They therefore became the first nation to win the World Cup twice. The 2003 World Cup was hosted by Australia. It was originally to be co-hosted with New"
"1995 Rugby League World Cup held in England and Wales, Great Britain was not playing, with England and Wales competing instead. Also, Hanley had signed with the Australian Rugby League during the Super League war which began in 1995 while the RFL were aligned with the European Super League. In 1999, he was appointed as the coach of St. Helens as the successor to Shaun McRae. In his first season as coach, he led Saints to the 1999 Super League Grand Final. His side defeated Bradford Bulls, the club he began his professional playing career at, by 8–6 in October"
"a result of both the respective rugby bodies putting forth the idea to the IRB. Australia was defeated by France in the semifinal stage. With rugby union becoming an openly professional sport in 1995, after more than a century of a strictly-enforced amateur code, major changes were seen in both the club and international game. The Super 12 rugby competition was born that year. The tournament involved 12 provincinal sides from three countries; New Zealand, South Africa and Australia. Australia entered three sides into the competition; ACT Brumbies, Queensland Reds and the New South Wales Waratahs. The year also saw"
"successful for the Reds, who were playing in Pool B for the 1995 season. They finished the season with 16 points, four points clear of second placed team in their pool, the Free State. South African team Transvaal had finished at the top of Pool A and the final was to be decided at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. Queensland won the final 30–16, and thus became back-to-back champions. With rugby union going professional, there was a reworking of competitions. The SANZAR partnership was formed between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU), the South African Rugby Football Union (SARFU) and"
"dispersing rugby fever in the biggest continent on the planet will help the IRB in their mission of globalizing the game we all love."" The IRB defended its decision to award the 2011 World Cup to New Zealand instead of Japan, stating: ""New Zealand can guarantee packed stadiums and that can't be guaranteed in Japan."" The host for the 2015 tournament was England, who won their bid on 28 July 2009. A record ten unions indicated formal interest in hosting the 2015 and/or the 2019 events: Australia, England, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Russia, Scotland, South Africa and Wales. Argentina had"
"rugby union, is a popular sport in South Africa, and in Gauteng in particular. Two rugby teams from Gauteng participate in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby championship: the Pretoria-based Bulls, and the Johannesburg-based Lions (previously the Cats). Three Gauteng-based teams play in the country's domestic competition, the Currie Cup: the Blue Bulls from Pretoria, the Golden Lions from Johannesburg and the Falcons from the East Rand. In 1995, South Africa hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup and proceeded to win the tournament at Ellis Park Stadium on 24 June 1995. The events surrounding the world cup formed the basis of"
"hemisphere and those in Europe. Wales hosted the tournament in 1999, with Cardiff's Millennium Stadium built to coincide with the event. However, it is common for Rugby World Cups to have matches played outside their official host country, and all four tournaments hosted in Europe have used Wales to some degree as a World Cup venue. After the 2015 event, Cardiff's Millennium Stadium and its predecessor will have hosted a total 21 matches over a total of four world cups. This is the largest number of world cup games hosted by one venue. England was billed as the main host"
"1995 European Rugby League Championship Wales won the new European Championship, beating England for the first time since 1977 and defeating France in Carcassonne to the first time take home the new title for the first time since 1938. It was the first time a European Championship had been held since being cancelled after last tournament in 1981. The traditional format was used, whereby the three founding nations compete, each playing a total of two matches, where no final is staged. It was held in early 1995, to accommodate for the Rugby League World Cup taking place in the latter"
"South Africa won the 1995 Rugby World Cup Final against the All Blacks 15–12 in extra-time. President Nelson Mandela, wearing a Springbok shirt, presented the trophy to captain Francois Pienaar, a white Afrikaner. The gesture was widely seen as a major step towards the reconciliation of white and black South Africans. A series of crises followed in 1995 through 1997. Christie resigned in 1996 due to leukaemia. South Africa struggled in the new Tri-Nations competition, the All Blacks won a test series in South Africa for the first time in 1996, and the Lions won their 1997 South African tour"
"Côte d'Ivoire (The Ivory Coast) slipped past them, Namibia, and the third African favourite, Morocco in the qualifiers for the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Côte d'Ivoire went into the World Cup optimistic, with coach Claude Ezoua saying: Despite Namibia and Zimbabwe having qualified for the RWC at different times, both of these countries were firmly within the South African orbit, had players who spoke English and/or Afrikaans, who were mostly white. Namibia had previously been a colony of South Africa, as South West Africa, and Zimbabwe had provided SA with a number of players such as Ray Mordt. The Côte"
"Residents at Ericsson Stadium and defeated them 20-4. The match was 20-all after 80 minutes. In extra time Australia scored two tries to win the match. New Zealand at the 1995 Rugby League World Cup The 1995 New Zealand rugby league tour of Great Britain was a tour by the New Zealand national rugby league team to compete at the 1995 Rugby League World Cup. New Zealand won Group B of the tournament, before losing to Australia 20-30 in a semi-final. Earlier in the year, New Zealand played two test matches against France, winning one and drawing the other. New"
"advise that the 2025 World Cup be hosted in North America. On 20 November 2016 it was announced that the United States and Canada had won the rights to the 2025 World Cup, the first time the tournament was hosted in North America. Winners: / Rugby League World Cup hosts Seven countries have hosted and co-hosted the Rugby League World Cup. England, France, Australia and New Zealand have hosted the World Cup on multiple occasions and the tournament has never been played outside its traditional 'heartlands' in these areas. The Rugby League International Federation is responsible for picking hosts. From"
"1995 Five Nations Championship The 1995 Five Nations Championship was the sixty-sixth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. It was also the last Five Nations held in the sport's amateur era, as rugby union's governing body, the International Rugby Football Board, opened the sport to professionalism on August 26 of that year. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-first series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played over five weekends from 21 January to 18 March. It was also the fifth ever occasion (after 1978, 1984,"
"most famous for being captain of the first South Africa team to win the World Cup. Prior to the World Cup in 1995, the Springboks were only seeded ninth and were not expected to dethrone the incumbent champions Australia, who had not lost a game in the preceding 12 months. During the tournament, South Africa defeated Australia, Romania, Canada, Western Samoa, and France. They then met New Zealand in the 1995 Rugby World Cup Final at Ellis Park Stadium. Pienaar played on in extra-time despite a calf strain and the Springboks secured a three-point victory with a drop goal from"
"Free State Stadium The Free State Stadium (), currently known as the Toyota Stadium for sponsorship reasons and formerly known as Vodacom Park, is a stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa, used mainly for rugby union and also sometimes for association football. It was originally built for the 1995 Rugby World Cup, and was one of the venues for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The primary rugby union tenants of the facility are: The primary association football tenant is: The stadium was one of the host venues for the 1995 Rugby World Cup. It hosted first round matches in Pool C"
"to Prince Edward when receiving the World Cup on the Wembley balcony. The following players were selected as the 1995 World Cup ""Team of the Tournament"" 1995 Rugby League World Cup The 1995 Rugby League World Cup was held during October in the United Kingdom. It was the eleventh staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was marketed as the Halifax Centenary World Cup, reflecting the tournament's sponsorship and the fact that 1995 marked the 100th birthday of the sport. Envisaged as a celebration of rugby league football, the size of the competition was doubled, with four additional teams"