France 2023: Rugby World Cup SEPTEMBER 8 – OCTOBER 28 France hosts the 10th Rugby World Cup, 200 years after Rugby School pupil William Webb Ellis displayed “a fine disregard for the rules” by catching the ball and running with it during a football match – now credited as the birth of the sport of rugby FIRST CLASS: Ten nations have played in each World Cup. South Africa joined in 1995 after end of apartheid – winning famous victory Performances of elite teams*: 1987 91 95 99 2003 07 11 15 19 New Zealand W 3rd F 4th 3rd QF W W 3rd Australia 4th W QF W F QF 3rd F QF France F QF 3rd F 4th 4th F QF QF England QF F 4th QF W F QF R1 F Wales 3rd R1 R1 QF QF R1 4th QF 4th South Africa W 3rd QF W QF 3rd W Scotland QF 4th QF QF QG QF R1 QF R1 Argentina R1 R1 R1 QF R1 3rd QF 4th R1 Ireland QF QF QF R1 QF R1 QF QF QF Japan R1 R1 R1 R1 R1 R1 R1 R1 QF Italy R1 R1 R1 R1 R1 R1 R1 R1 R1 Most head-to-head clashes at Rugby World Cup: France open tournament with another clash against three-time champions New Zealand New Zealand 5-2 France Matches: 7 Australia 5-2 Wales 7 England 4-3 Australia 7 New Zealand 5-0 Italy (1 draw) 6 England 3-2 France (1 draw) 6 New Zealand 5-0 Scotland 5 South Africa 5-0 Samoa 5 Australia 4-1 Ireland 5 South Africa 4-1 England 5 New Zealand 3-2 South Africa 5 0 WR rank (Aug 2023) Webb Ellis Cup: Silver-gilt cup made in London in 1906 – inspired by design of cup crafted in 1740s FRANCE: WORLD CUP RECORD W36 D1 L15 Les Bleus aim to use raucous home support in bid to win first trophy, after three defeats in finals Chile become 26th different nation to compete in World Cup – Portugal make first appearance since 2007 Antoine Dupont France Talented scrum-half acclaimed for passing ability, flawless kicking and split-second decision making Venues Bordeaux Stade de Bordeaux 42,060 Nantes Stade de La Beaujoire 35,520 Lille Stade Pierre-Mauroy 50,090 Lyon OL Stadium 58,880 Marseille Stade Velodrome 67,840 Nice Stade de Nice 35,980 Saint-Denis Stade de France Capacity: 80,020 Saint-Etienne Stade Geoffroy-Guichard 41,960 Toulouse Stadium de Toulouse 33,100 Kurt-Lee Arendse S. Africa Scored try as Springboks routed New Zealand 35-7 in World Cup warm-up Competition schedule 20 teams contest total of 48 matches, played at nine venues, over seven weeks 8 France New Zealand Saint-Denis 9 Italy Namibia Saint-Étienne 14 France Uruguay Lille 15 New Zealand Namibia Toulouse 20 Italy Uruguay Nice 21 France Namibia Marseille 27 Uruguay Namibia Lyon 29 New Zealand Italy Lyon 5 New Zealand Uruguay Lyon 6 France Italy Lyon Sep/Oct B 2 1 5 15 19 9 Ireland Romania Bordeaux 10 South Africa Scotland Marseille 16 Ireland Tonga Nantes 17 South Africa Romania Bordeaux 23 South Africa Ireland Saint-Denis 24 Scotland Tonga Nice 30 Scotland Romania Lille 1 South Africa Tonga Marseille 7 Ireland Scotland Saint-Denis 8 Tonga Romania Lille Sep/ Oct C 10 9 7 11 16 9 Australia Georgia Saint-Denis 10 Wales Fiji Bordeaux 16 Wales Portugal Nice 17 Australia Fiji Saint-Étienne 23 Georgia Portugal Toulouse 24 Wales Australia Lyon 30 Fiji Georgia Bordeaux 1 Australia Portugal Saint-Étienne 7 Wales Georgia Nantes 8 Fiji Portugal Toulouse Sep/ Oct D 8 14 6 12 22 9 England Argentina Marseille 10 Japan Chile Toulouse 16 Samoa Chile Bordeaux 17 England Japan Nice 22 Argentina Samoa Saint-Étienne 23 England Chile Lille 28 Japan Samoa Toulouse 30 Argentina Chile Nantes 7 England Samoa Lille 8 Japan Argentina Nantes P W D L F A Pts 1 2 3 4 5 P W D L F A Pts 1 2 3 4 5 P W D L F A Pts 1 2 3 4 5 P W D L F A Pts 1 2 3 4 5 Top two per pool progress to knockout stage. If scores are level after 80 minutes, teams play 20 mins of extra-time, then 10 mins ‘sudden death’. Matches still remaining level are decided by drop goals Quarter-finals Oct 14 Marseille C1 D2 Oct 14 Saint-Denis B1 A2 Semi-final Oct 20 Saint-Denis Quarter-finals Oct 15 Marseille D1 C2 Oct 15 Saint-Denis A1 B2 Semi-final Oct 21 Saint-Denis Bronze final Oct 27 Saint-Denis FINAL Oct 28 Saint-Denis Stade de France hosts final for second time, following 2007 showpiece ROLL CALL OF CHAMPIONS 1987 New Zealand 29-9 France 1991 Australia 12-6 England 1995 South Africa 15-12 New Zealand 1999 Australia 35-12 France 2003 England 20-17 Australia 2007 South Africa 15-6 England 2011 New Zealand 8-7 France 2015 New Zealand 34-17 Australia 2019 South Africa 32-12 England Beginners' guide to Rugby Union Objective: Two teams of 15 players attempt to score tries or win penalties, moving ball from player to player by hand – always passing it backwards Scoring Cross-bar Playing time Two halves of 40 minutes Try (5pts): Player runs ball over goal line Drop-goal (3pts), Penalty (3pts), Conversion (2pts): Ball kicked over crossbar Halfway 10m line 22m line Touch line Goal line Goal posts Direction of play Ball passed backwards 100m 70m In-goal In-goal Detail 1 2 2 1 Source: World Rugby *Previously Tier 1 teams in Six Nations, Rugby Championship. Japan gained status in 2023 Pictures: Getty Images © GRAPHIC NEWS