2023 Rugby World Cup
The 2023 Rugby World Cup (French: Coupe du monde de rugby 2023) was the tenth men's Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national rugby union teams. It took place in France from 8 September to 28 October 2023 in nine venues across the country. The opening game and final took place at the Stade de France, north of Paris. The tournament was held in the bicentenary year of the purported invention of the sport by William Webb Ellis.[2]
French: Coupe du monde de rugby 2023
8 September – 28 October
20 (34 qualifying)
South Africa (4th title)
48
2,437,208 (50,775 per match)
325 (average 6.77 per match)
Owen Farrell (75)
Will Jordan (8)
2,610 (average 54.38 per match)
The tournament was scheduled to last six weeks, but in February 2021 World Rugby added a week to provide additional rest days for player welfare. This meant that teams had a minimum of five days' rest for all matches. It was the fourth time France has hosted the Rugby World Cup, having previously done so in 2007 and co-hosted the 1991 Rugby World Cup and 1999 Rugby World Cup with England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. This was the last tournament to feature 20 teams taking part, as the tournament will be expanded to include 24 teams in 2027.
The defending champions were South Africa, who defeated England in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final.[3] South Africa retained their title by defeating New Zealand in the final.[4] In doing so, they became the first team to win the tournament four times and they remain the only team to ever win the World Cup after losing a match in the pool stage, as well as the first team to win successive World Cup titles away from home.[5] The result also marked their second victory over New Zealand in a final (winning 15–12 a.e.t. in 1995), and also their second victory in a final on French soil (defeating England 15–6 in 2007). As well as winning the World Cup after losing a Pool game for the second consecutive time they also noticeably won each of their knockout games against France, England and New Zealand by a margin of only 1 point.
Chile made their first appearance in the tournament. Portugal returned for their second appearance, 16 years after their debut in 2007, also in France.
Venues[edit]
Stadia[edit]
On 17 March 2017, twelve host cities were selected.[7] This list was later reduced to nine cities (excluding Paris, Montpellier, and Lens):
Opening ceremony[edit]
The opening ceremony, directed and written by Jean Dujardin, Olivier Ferracci and Nora Matthey, took place on 8 September 2023 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, before the opening match between France and New Zealand.[15][16]
