Rugby Quiz: World Cups, the Haka and Legends of the Game

This rugby quiz covers the game's rules, history and legends, from Rugby School and the story of William Webb Ellis to the haka, the All Blacks, South Africa's World Cup wins, Jonah Lomu, Jonny Wilkinson, Richie McCaw, Dan Carter and the Six Nations. Ten questions.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 90 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 90s

Basics
How many players does each team have on the field in rugby union?
Scoring
How many points is a try worth in rugby union?
History
The Rugby World Cup trophy is named after which legendary schoolboy?
Traditions
What is the name of the Māori challenge performed by New Zealand before matches?
World Cup
Which country has won the men's Rugby World Cup the most times?
Legends
Which England player kicked the winning drop goal in the 2003 World Cup final?
Legends
Which giant New Zealand winger famously ran over England's defense at the 1995 World Cup?
History
In 1995, which leader presented the World Cup trophy wearing a Springbok jersey?
Six Nations
Which of these teams is NOT part of the Six Nations Championship?
Legends
Which New Zealand captain lifted the World Cup in both 2011 and 2015?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: How many players does each team have on the field in rugby union?
Answer: 15
Rugby union is played 15-a-side. Rugby league uses 13 players, and rugby sevens uses seven.
Q2: How many points is a try worth in rugby union?
Answer: Five
A try is worth five points, and the conversion kick afterward adds two. A penalty goal or drop goal is worth three.
Q3: The Rugby World Cup trophy is named after which legendary schoolboy?
Answer: William Webb Ellis
According to legend, Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran with it at Rugby School in England in 1823. Historians doubt the story.
Q4: What is the name of the Māori challenge performed by New Zealand before matches?
Answer: The haka
The best-known version is Ka Mate. Samoa, Tonga and Fiji perform their own war dances, the siva tau, sipi tau and cibi.
Q5: Which country has won the men's Rugby World Cup the most times?
Answer: South Africa
South Africa won in 1995, 2007, 2019 and 2023, giving them four titles. New Zealand have three.
Q6: Which England player kicked the winning drop goal in the 2003 World Cup final?
Answer: Jonny Wilkinson
Wilkinson's kick in extra time beat Australia in Sydney. England remain the only northern hemisphere men's world champions.
Q7: Which giant New Zealand winger famously ran over England's defense at the 1995 World Cup?
Answer: Jonah Lomu
Lomu scored four tries in that semifinal. He became rugby's first global superstar and was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.
Q8: In 1995, which leader presented the World Cup trophy wearing a Springbok jersey?
Answer: Nelson Mandela
Mandela's gesture to captain François Pienaar became a symbol of unity in post-apartheid South Africa. The story inspired the film Invictus.
Q9: Which of these teams is NOT part of the Six Nations Championship?
Answer: Argentina
The Six Nations features England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. Argentina play in The Rugby Championship.
Q10: Which New Zealand captain lifted the World Cup in both 2011 and 2015?
Answer: Richie McCaw
McCaw played 148 Test matches. His teammate Dan Carter scored the most points in Test rugby history.

Rugby Quiz – From Rugby School to the World Cup

Rugby is a fast, physical team sport played in more than 100 countries. Its origins lie in 19th-century England, at Rugby School, where a form of football that allowed carrying the ball developed. The game spread through schools, universities and the British Empire, and today it is especially popular in New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, the British Isles, France, Argentina and the Pacific Islands.

There are several forms of rugby. Rugby union is played 15-a-side and is the most widely played version. Rugby league, which split from union in 1895, has 13 players and different rules. Rugby sevens is a fast, short version that joined the Olympic Games in 2016. In every form, players pass the oval ball backward and try to ground it over the opponent's goal line.

The men's Rugby World Cup began in 1987, and its trophy is named after William Webb Ellis, the schoolboy said to have invented the game. South Africa have won it four times, New Zealand three, Australia two and England once. The women's World Cup, first held in 1991, has been won by New Zealand and England, who won on home soil in 2025.

Rugby has produced many legends. Jonah Lomu's power, Jonny Wilkinson's kicking, Richie McCaw's leadership and Dan Carter's skill have all become part of the sport's story. Traditions like the haka and the Six Nations Championship help give rugby its special atmosphere. The next men's World Cup will be held in Australia in 2027.

This quiz covers rugby's rules, tournaments, traditions and greatest players.

What This Quiz Teaches

This quiz is perfect for rugby fans and anyone new to the sport.

How many players are on a rugby union team
How points are scored
The legend of William Webb Ellis
What the haka is and who performs it
Which countries have won the World Cup
Who the game's biggest legends are

Quick Facts About Rugby

The Calcutta Cup has been played between England and Scotland since 1879.
A team that loses every match in the Six Nations is said to win the wooden spoon.
Fiji won Olympic gold in rugby sevens in 2016 and 2020.
New Zealand's national team is called the All Blacks because of its black kit.
Rugby balls were once made from pig bladders covered in leather.
The 2027 men's World Cup will be the first with 24 teams.