the rugby world cup is considered the ultimate rugby competition. the new zealand all blacks won the first world cup in 1987, beating france in the final. since then the all blacks were favourites on several occasions, but did not win for another 24 years. new zealand lost to australia in the semi-final in 2003 and fell to the french team in the quarter-final of the 2007 rugby world cup. intense lobbying by the nzrfu and the new zealand government helped new zealand secure hosting rights to the 2011 rugby world cup. the all blacks regained the world cup on home soil in 2011. they went on to be the first country in history to win the rugby world cup two times consecutively, as they won the 2015 competition in england.