The Rugby World Cup is the premier international rugby union competition.
The event is organised by the International Rugby Board (IRB) and is
contested by national teams. The winners are awarded the William Webb Ellis
Cup. William Webb Ellis was the Rugby School pupil who - according to
popular myth - invented the game after picking up the ball during a game of
football.
The inaugural tournament was held in 1987, hosted by both
Australia and New Zealand and was contested between sixteen nations. The
All Blacks (New Zealand) became the first ever champions, defeating France
twenty-nine points to nine.
The subsequent 1991 tournament, which
this issue commemorates, was hosted by England, with matches also being
played throughout the rest of Britain, Ireland and France. Australia won
the second tournament, defeating England, twelve points to six.
The
tournament is contested every four years and is one of the largest
international sporting competitions in the world.

A miniature sheet containing the $1.80 stamp was issued with
a 60 cent surcharge over face value donated to raise funds to help support
hobby sport in New Zealand. The miniature sheet was also issued for the
Philanippon '91 exhibition with the exhibition logo in the top right
hand corner. This miniature sheet is listed under
1991 Philanippon in this catalogue.