World Rugby and the France 2023 Organising Committee have announced the match schedule and venues for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
The expanded eight-week international rugby union festival, which takes place across nine cities, will kick-off with a blockbuster opening clash between host nation France and three-time champions New Zealand at the Stade de France on 8 September 2023.
Rugby World Cup 2023 will be a “truly nationwide tournament involving all of France”, World Rugby said in a news release. “Each host city will host a minimum of four games and welcome at least one RWC 2019 quarter-finalist, reinforcing its commitment to unite the whole country through rugby fever.”
In line with the mission to make the tournament the most accessible Rugby World Cup to date and attract new audiences in France, 80% of the population will live within two hours from a match venue, while international fans will get to see the very best of the host nation.
One highlight of a spectacular opening weekend is a double-header in Marseille. RWC 2019 runners-up England will launch their Pool D campaign against Argentina on the first Saturday, while reigning champions South Africa will start their title defence against Scotland the following day, offering fans two world-class fixtures in one location over an epic late September weekend in the south of France.
A streamlined nine host cities will play host to the world’s top 20 teams with the top two from each pool progressing to the quarter-finals. In typical style, the pool phase concludes with an epic weekend of matches with Six Nations rivals Scotland and Ireland going head-to-head in Saint-Denis and fan-favourites Japan facing Argentina in Nantes.
Marseille (Stade Vélodrome) and Saint-Denis (Stade de France) will host the quarter-finals on 14-15 October. The 80,000 capacity national symbol of Stade de France will also host the two semi-finals on 20 and 21 October, the bronze final on 27 October and the Rugby World Cup 2023 final on Saturday 28 October. Kick-off times for all 48 fixtures will be confirmed in due course.
Bill Beaumont, World Rugby chairman, 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.”
Claude Atcher, France 2023 CEO, added: “The France 2023 Organising Committee is very proud of the match schedule presented today with World Rugby. An increase in financial investment for the purpose of better player welfare is unprecedented in the history of major sporting events. This new match schedule format will also provide a more equitable platform for all teams involved. We are also very pleased that each of our nine host cities and regions will host at least one quarter-finalist from RWC 2019, meaning the tournament, and all it has to offer, will be accessible to the widest-possible audience across the country. With this in mind, we believe this match schedule can deliver the most competitive and entertaining Rugby World Cup ever held.”
Rugby World Cup 2023
- When: 8 September 2023 to 28 October 2023
- Where: France
- Host cities:
– Saint-Denis (Paris)
– Saint-Étienne
– Bordeaux
– Marseille
– Toulouse
– Lille
– Nice
– Nantes
– Lyon - Venues:
– Stade de France, Saint-Denis (Paris)
– Stade Geoffroy Guichard, Saint-Étienne
– Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux
– Stade Vélodrome, Marseille
– Stadium de Toulouse, Toulouse
– Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille
– Stade de Nice, Nice
– Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes
– Parc OL, Lyon - Fixtures: rugbyworldcup.com