List of Rugby World Cup red cards

The first player to receive a red card was Welsh lock Huw Richards in the inaugural Rugby World Cup.

[1] In that match Australian flanker David Codey was sent off in the fifth minute, which at the time was the quickest dismissal in any Rugby World Cup.

Highly regarded Argentine Pedro Sporleder, who would go on to compete in the next three tournaments, fought with Samoan Mat Keenan and both were sent from the field.

Electrical problems at the Boet Erasmus Stadium in Port Elizabeth caused the South Africa–Canada match to be postponed by 45 minutes, adding to the tension of the last, decisive Pool A game.

With 10 minutes left the South Africans were leading 20–0 when a challenge by Pieter Hendriks on Canadian Winston Stanley sparked a fight between the two teams.

[5][6] One week earlier Tongan flanker Feleti Mahoni was caught stamping on the head of Frenchman Philippe Benetton during a ruck, resulting in an immediate dismissal and a lengthy ban.

Tongan Hale T-Pole was dismissed in the final ten minutes of the match against Samoa when he elbowed substitute Leo Lafaiali'i in the face.

Samoa's Paul Williams was reprimanded for striking a South African player but escaped a ban when it was deemed that his actions were not heavy, had no adverse effect on the game, and that there were "compelling on-field and/or off-field aggravating features".