The night sky over Auckland when the All Blacks won the 2011 World Cup

On 23 October 2011, New Zealand played France in the Rugby World Cup final at Eden Park in Auckland. The All Blacks won 8-7.

It was New Zealand's first world title since 1987, when they had also won the final at Eden Park. The whole country had waited 24 years.

The sky above Auckland, New Zealand on October 23, 2011

The sky was almost fully dark, with a trace of twilight left. There was a waning crescent Moon, 18% lit, but it was below the horizon. Jupiter was above the horizon and could be seen without a telescope.

The sky is almost fully dark, but a trace of twilight still hides the faintest stars.

Local time
9:00 PM
Time in UTC
October 23, 2011 at 8:00 AM UTC
Sun
Astronomical twilight
Sun position
15° below the horizon
Moon phase
waning crescent Moon
Moon lit
18%
Moon position
54° below the horizon

What happened that night

Tony Woodcock scored a try in the first half. Stephen Donald, called into the squad late after injuries to other fly-halves, kicked the penalty that proved decisive.

France scored a try through captain Thierry Dusautoir and pushed hard until the end. Richie McCaw lifted the Webb Ellis Cup as captain.

Why people remember it

The final was one of the closest in the tournament's history. For many New Zealanders, it ended years of near misses.

A star map of this night makes a gift for a rugby fan, a player, or a family from Auckland.

Questions about this night

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