 The idea of a Rugby World Cup had been suggested on numerous occasions going back to the 1950s , but met with opposition from most unions in the IRFB . The idea resurfaced several times in the early 1980s , with the Australian Rugby Union ( ARU ) in 1983 , and the New Zealand Rugby Union ( NZRU ) in 1984 independently proposing the establishment of a world cup . A proposal was again put to the IRFB in 1985 and this time successfully passed 10 – 6 . The delegates from Australia , France , New Zealand and South Africa all voted for the proposal , and the delegates from Ireland and Scotland against ; the English and Welsh delegates were split , with one from each country for and one against . 
