How it unfolded
The inaugural Rugby World Cup invited 16 nations with no qualifying process and was co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia. New Zealand set the tone early, thrashing Italy 70-6 in the opener, a match that included a solo try from winger John Kirwan who started the run in his own half and beat a string of defenders. France arrived in the final having beaten Australia 30-24 six days earlier in a Sydney semifinal finished off by a Serge Blanco counterattack try in the closing seconds. In the final, New Zealand got tries from flanker Michael Jones, captain and scrum-half David Kirk, and John Kirwan, with Grant Fox's accurate kicking stretching the margin. France's scoring came entirely from a Pierre Berbizier try, a Didier Camberabero conversion and penalties. The final score was 29-9. David Kirk became the first captain ever to lift the Webb Ellis Cup, and New Zealand finished the tournament unbeaten in all six matches.
Why it still matters
The moment rugby union finally had a tournament that crowned a world champion. The broadcast and sponsorship revenue this event generated clashed head-on with amateur regulations, becoming the starting pressure that led to the declaration of professionalism eight years later. Most of World Rugby's budget today still traces back to this tournament.