RUGBY WORLD CUP - France 2023
Following the Summer Olympics and the Football World Cup, the Rugby World Cup is the 3rd largest sports event in the world.
This year, history will be made as the 2023 RWC returns to the heartland of traditional rugby. From September 8th to October 23rd, in nine stadiums throughout the country. The opening match and final will take place at the Stade de France, just north of Paris.
RWC 2023
7 weeks. 20 participating teams. A total of 48 matches. One World Champion.
LIST OF RWC 2023 QUALIFIERS so far
France
South Africa
Argentina
Australia
New Zealand
Scotland
Ireland
Georgia
England
Japan
Italy
Wales
Fiji
Samoa
Uruguay
In the first pool stage, the twenty total teams will be divided into four pools of five teams. Competing nations will partake in a total of 40 pool matches. Each pool will be a single round-robin of ten games, with each team playing one match against each of the other teams in that same pool. Wins will earn teams four league points, draws two league points, and losses zero league points. Bonus points will be awarded to teams scoring four tries in one singular match.
The teams finishing in the top two of each pool will advance to the quarter-finals. The top three teams of each pool will be automatically qualified for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, likely hosted by Australia.
RUGBY WORLD CUP FACTS & HISTORY
The sport of rugby is believed to have been created in 1823 when William Webb Ellis failed to adhere to football standards by grabbing the ball and running the field with it in his arms instead. Variants of rugby date back as far back as 5th and 6th century AD in English territory. As of 2016, there were 3.2 million registered rugby players in the world, with the sport spreading in popularity among many South American, Asian, and African countries today.
The Rugby World Cup has been providing an international stage for rugby competition since 1987 when it was first co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. The two countries are part of what make up rugby's heartland, with NZ taking the number one spot. New Zealand was the first-ever RWC Champion Team, defeating France 29 points to 9 points at Eden Park in Auckland and as of now, they hold the title of defending champions. Whether or not they hold that title after 2023, the world will be waiting in anticipation to see.