In rugby and for the World Cup, a bonus point is awarded to teams based on their performance during a match. There are two types of bonus points in rugby: the offensive bonus point and the defensive bonus point. Both allow teams to make a difference in the rankings. There are two, offensive and defensive and here are the explanations:
- Offensive bonus point: A team scores an attacking bonus point if they score a certain number of tries in a match, usually four tries in rugby union. This means that a team that scores at least four tries in a match automatically earns an attacking bonus point, regardless of the final result of the match.
- Defensive bonus point: A team gets a defensive bonus point if they lose the match with a small point spread. If a team loses by seven points or less in rugby union, they are rewarded with a defensive bonus point.
Offensive and defensive bonuses are cumulative. For example, imagine that during this World Cup, France loses against New Zealand by 4 points (35 to 31) but that it registers 4 tries or more: it will then take the offensive bonus and the defensive one. In this case, France would collect two points. While the defeat without a bonus would have earned him zero points in the standings.