Rugby has always prided itself on order – the big dogs eat, the minnows clap politely – but every so often, the script gets torn to shreds, the crowd loses its mind, and history gets rewritten in real time. These are the moments when giants fall and underdogs become immortal; when the scoreboard looks like a typo and the favourites look like they’ve seen a ghost. From Brighton to Nantes, Cardiff to Kamaishi, these upsets aren’t just games – they’re acts of rebellion, proof that on any given day, courage, chaos and a perfectly timed tackle can shake the world.
The Miracle of Brighton (2015)
Japan 34-32 South Africa. Karne Hesketh in the corner. Eddie Jones looking like he’d just stolen the Mona Lisa. This isn’t just rugby’s greatest upset; it’s one of sport’s greatest full stop. Tier-2 Japan beating the two-time world champions changed the sport forever. Ellis Park 2025 doesn’t quite eclipse it, but it rhymes with it.
France 43-31 New Zealand (1999)
The French were dead and buried in that World Cup semi. Jonah Lomu had already trampled half the Stade de France. Then came the champagne rugby – Lamaison’s boot, Dominici’s wizardry, the All Blacks shell-shocked. Still the biggest ambush in knockout rugby history.
France 20-18 New Zealand (2007)
Different World Cup, same script: France as assassins. This time, Thierry Dusautoir and the boys pulled off a heist in Cardiff that left Richie McCaw staring at Wayne Barnes like a man betrayed. Another benchmark upset.
Western Samoa 16-13 Wales (1991)
The debutants rolled into Cardiff Arms Park and left the Welsh in ruins. The line still echoes: “Thank heavens Wales weren’t playing the whole of Samoa.” A moment that shook the establishment to its core.
Fiji 38-34 Wales (2007)
Nantes witnessed chaos that day. Fiji running from their own try-line, Wales drowning in panic, and the Flying Fijians flying into the quarterfinals. Still one of the great World Cup thrillers.
Uruguay 30-27 Fiji (2019)
The “Miracle in Kamaishi.” Uruguay’s part-timers toppled a fully professional Fiji with sheer guts and heart. A feel-good classic that still makes you grin.
Ireland 40-29 New Zealand (2016)
Chicago, Soldier Field. After 111 years of trying, Ireland finally beat the All Blacks. For sheer emotional weight, this sits near the top of any upset list.
Argentina 25-15 New Zealand (2020)
Los Pumas had never beaten the All Blacks. Then, in the middle of a pandemic, they did it. History made.
Munster 12-0 New Zealand (1978)
It’s a club game, yes, but the legend is eternal. A provincial Irish side shutting out the All Blacks? The Thomond Park crowd still hasn’t sobered up. This historic match also planted the seeds for one of rugby’s most famous non-Test fixtures in the years since that famous day, with touring All Blacks sides to Europe regularly facing Munster, but usually with ‘XV’ attached to a matchday squad. We understand why.
Tonga 19-14 France (2011)
Nobody – and we mean nobody – saw this coming. France, en route to a World Cup final that year, were ambushed in Wellington by the mighty Ikale Tahi. Tonga’s defence was a wall of red steel, their collisions biblical, and when the final whistle blew, the French looked like they’d just been mugged in broad daylight. Captain Nili Latu tackled everything that moved, Kurt Morath kicked like a man possessed, and the Pacific drums drowned out the tricolore. It didn’t stop France from reaching the final… but it did make the world remember: underestimate Tonga, and you will get humbled.
