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Rugby World Cup 2023 fixtures released: Who plays who and where
England will begin the 2023 World Cup against Argentina in Marseille, while Scotland will take on defending champions South Africa in the same city a day later.
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Both matches will be played at the Stade Velodrome, on Saturday, September 9 and Sunday, September 10.
Hosts France will face three-time winners New Zealand in a tantalising opening match of the tournament at the Stade de France in Paris on September 8.
After their Pool D opener against Los Pumas, Eddie Jones’ 2019 runners-up will take on Japan in Nice on September 17 before back-to-back games in Lille against qualifiers from the Americas and Oceania on September 23 and October 7 respectively.
Wales, meanwhile, begin their Pool C campaign against Fiji in Bordeaux on September 10 and take on two-time champions Australia in Lyon a fortnight later.
Ireland’s quest to progress beyond the quarter-finals for the first time also starts in Bordeaux, where they will play a European qualifier on September 9.
Andy Farrell’s men face the Springboks in Paris on September 23 and will then return to the Stade de France to complete their Pool B games against rivals Scotland on October 7.
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The Springboks will kick off the defence of their 2023 Rugby World Cup crown on Sunday, 10 September 2023 against Scotland in the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille.
The defending Rugby World Cup-champion Springboks were drawn in Pool B alongside old rivals New Zealand.
The Springboks then head to the south of France to the city of Toulouse to play the All Blacks one week later on Friday 15 September at Stadium de Toulouse.
And another six days later, on 23 September, the Boks and Ireland will clash for the first time ever at a RWC when they meet at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis on the outskirts of Paris, the scene of the South Africans’ memorable triumph over England in the 2007 final.
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The Boks then return to Marseille for their last group match against an Asian-Pacific 1 qualifier in the Stade Velodrome on 1 October.
The All Blacks’ last two Pool games will be played at Parc OL, Lyon: Italy on Friday 29 September and Americas 1 on Thursday 5 October.
Games will be played at nine venues across France.
? The #RWC2023 match schedule has been announced!
Hosts @FranceRugby will face the @AllBlacks in a blockbuster opening match on 8 September 2023
? Full details at https://t.co/NK8lSYgtpS pic.twitter.com/tA0wrwQzNG
— World Rugby Media (@worldrugbymedia) February 26, 2021
The final – scheduled for Saturday, October 28 – the third-placed play-off, both semi-finals and two of the quarter-finals will be staged at the Stade de France.
Marseille will host the other two last-eight fixtures.
A new innovative match schedule developed by World Rugby and the France 2023 Organising Committee, in partnership with International Rugby Players, host cities and broadcasters, has team and fans experience at heart.
For the first time in the tournament’s history, all teams will have a minimum of five rest days between all matches and an increased squad size of 33 players, optimising recovery and preparation and improving on-field performances.
All matches will be organised between Wednesday and Sunday to maximise fan attendance and broadcast engagement and seven double-header weekends will translate into a festival atmosphere in the host cities. Building on a record economic impact of RWC 2019 in Japan, France 2023 will look to be the most impactful and sustainable Rugby World Cup ever, delivering a tangible impact for society and rugby.
With momentum building, the Rugby World Cup 2023 ticketing programme will launch later next month as the first tickets for the showcase competition will go on sale. A virtual press conference held by Alan Gilpin (Head of Rugby World Cup) and Claude Atcher (France 2023 CEO) will be organised on 4 March, 2021 at 08:00 GMT to present all details and answer media enquiries.
World Rugby Chairman, Sir Bill Beaumont said: “The match schedule announcement is the moment when the tournament truly comes alive for fans all around the world and is an exciting milestone on the road to Rugby World Cup France 2023. It has been developed with teams and fans at heart and we are confident it will provide the best possible platform for a thrilling, historic and very special Rugby World Cup in the sport’s 200th year. I would like to thank our friends at the France 2023 Organising Committee for their efforts in building the most fair and equitable RWC match schedule ever. I know I speak for fans around the world when I say that 2023 cannot come fast enough!”
World Rugby Vice-Chairman, Bernard Laporte added: “The match schedule announcement is a wonderful moment for all Rugby World Cup 2023’s stakeholders. It has everything: the world’s 20 best teams, 48 games and 51 days of celebration. Designed with players and fans at heart, this match schedule will delight all rugby lovers around the world. We have given each host city the opportunity to shine with thrilling fixtures happening all over France. We look forward to 2023!”
More to follow…
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
45 Go to comments