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Confirmed: Definitive list of the 38 Test matches on road to World Cup
World Rugby have confirmed the full schedule of preparation matches leading into Rugby World Cup 2023. The plan features 38 Test and six non-Test matches that will for the first time see all teams outside of the Six Nations and The Rugby Championship having a minimum of three high-quality preparation matches before the tournament gets underway in France in September.
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Having invested more than £4million in RWC 2023 preparations for its performance unions, the game’s global governing body has provided what it describes as “significant financial and technical support” for RWC-qualified teams outside of the two annual top-tier tournaments.
One example is Samoa, the Pacific Islanders who have been drawn in Pool D at the finals where they will meet Chile, Argentina, Japan and England from September 16 to October 7. Their warm-up schedule will see them take on Japan in Sapporo on July 22, Fiji in Apia on July 29, Tonga in Apia on August 5 and then Ireland in Bayonne on August 26.
Another example is Georgia, the Eastern European who will encounter Australia, Portugal, Fiji and Wales in Pool C from September 9 to October 7. Their list of warm-up fixtures begins versus Romania in Tbilisi on August 12 and also includes an August 19 meeting with the USA at a venue to be confirmed and then an August 26 clash with Scotland in Edinburgh.
The full list of preparation matches kicks off on July 8 in Tokyo when a Japan XV hosts an All Blacks XV in a non-Test cap game and culminates on August 27 when World Cup hosts France take on Australia in the final warm-up before the tournament commences on September 8 with the French up against the All Blacks in match one at Stade de France.
A statement read: “At present, 38 Test fixtures will take place across the globe in a busy period for international rugby. The international federation is playing a central role in coordinating the schedule of fixtures to provide each of the Rugby World Cup 2023 qualified teams with the best-possible preparation environment for the biggest event in men’s test rugby.
“In line with its commitment to grow the game globally, World Rugby has also put significant investment behind teams outside of The Rugby Championship and Six Nations to provide meaningful opposition to assist with Rugby World Cup preparations and beyond.
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“Highlights include Argentina playing Spain in Madrid and Samoa facing Ireland in Bayonne on August 26, while the USA – who fell short of qualifying for France 2023 – will travel to Europe to face Romania, Portugal and Georgia.”
World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont said: “World Rugby exists to make the game better, more accessible and relevant for everyone. Our commitment to support the high-performance programmes of our performance unions with significant investment and coordination expertise reflects that ambition.
“This schedule of international fixtures is the culmination of a lot of collaboration and hard work between our high-performance staff and all our member unions.
“We anticipate that France 2023 will be the most compelling of all men’s Rugby World Cups. Chile are taking part in their first Rugby World Cup ever, Portugal their second after 2007, and the top of the World Rugby men’s rankings powered by Capgemini has never been so competitive.
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“The preparation matches will give fans a foretaste of Rugby World Cup 2023 while providing match officials with great opportunities to perform ahead of rugby’s showcase event.”
Having last week named its list of 12 referees for the finals in France, World Rugby have now also unveiled its match official appointments for all the international fixtures taking place in July and August.
- Click here for The Rugby Championship fixtures and match official appointments;
- Click here for the remaining July and August matches and match official appointments.
Comments on RugbyPass
Havili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
7 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
7 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
61 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
7 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
61 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
61 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
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