[ad_1]
| Hosts: France Dates: 8 September to 28 October |
| Coverage: Full commentary of every game across BBC Radio 5 Live and Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, plus text updates on the BBC Sport website and app. |
The 10th Rugby World Cup kicks off on Friday, 8 September with hosts France facing New Zealand in Paris.
There are 20 teams taking part and the winners will lift the Webb Ellis Cup at the Stade de France on 28 October.
You can follow live commentary of all 48 matches across BBC Radio 5 Live, Sports Extra, BBC Sounds, the BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport app.
There will also be live text commentary, live scores and reports of all the games on the BBC Sport website.
The Rugby Union Weekly podcast will be available to download daily from Monday and will have all the news, debate and big issues from France.
The new Rugby Union Top 10 podcast series debating different aspects of the tournament’s history has also launched on BBC Sounds.
BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Radio Foyle will produce bespoke output for their teams.
When do the British and Irish teams play?
England start their World Cup campaign against Argentina on 9 September, the same day Ireland face Romania.
Scotland meet reigning champions South Africa on the following day, with Wales also playing Fiji.
Who are the defending champions?
South Africa won the last World Cup held in Japan in 2019, beating England 32-12 in the final in Yokohama.
In the World Cup’s 36-year history, only four countries – New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and England – have triumphed.
Who are the favourites this year?
Ireland are the world’s number one ranked team followed closely by South Africa, France and New Zealand. Scotland are fifth, ahead of Argentina, while Fiji are seventh following last month’s historic win over England at Twickenham.
England are a lowly eighth, just ahead of Australia, while Wales are 10th.
Chile, the only tournament debutants, are the lowest-ranked team at 22nd.
What pools are England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland in?
| Pool A: New Zealand, France, Italy, Uruguay, Namibia |
| Pool B: South Africa, Ireland, Scotland, Tonga, Romania |
| Pool C: Wales, Australia, Fiji, Georgia, Portugal |
| Pool D: England, Japan, Argentina, Samoa, Chile |
The World Cup draw – carried out in December 2020 – has generated a serious imbalance with tournament heavyweights South Africa, New Zealand, Ireland and France all in its top half.
While those teams are set to meet in the quarter-finals in Paris, Australia, Argentina, England and Wales look set to make up the last eight on the other side of the draw.
Where are matches being played?
Matches will be played across nine host cities – Paris, Marseille, Nice, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Lyon, Lille, Saint-Etienne and Nantes.
Tournament rules
Teams receive four points for a win and two for a draw.
A bonus point is awarded for scoring four tries or for a defeat by seven points or fewer.
The winner and runner-up in each pool qualify for the quarter-finals. If two teams are tied on the same number of points, the winner of the match between those teams will go through.
If teams are tied at full time in the knockout stages, then the winner shall be determined through extra time, then sudden death if there’s still no winner and finally a kicking competition if the scores are still tied.
World Cup fixture list
All times are BST unless stated and are subject to change. The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made. Coverage is only available for UK users
Friday, 8 September
Pool A: France v New Zealand (Stade de France), 20:15
Saturday, 9 September
Pool A: Italy v Namibia (Stade Geoffroy-Guichard), 12:00
Pool B: Ireland v Romania (Stade de Bordeaux), 14:30
Pool C: Australia v Georgia (Stade de France), 17:00
Pool D: England v Argentina (Stade de Marseille), 20:00
Sunday, 10 September
Pool D: Japan v Chile (Stade de Toulouse), 12:00
Pool B: South Africa v Scotland (Stade de Marseille), 16.45
Pool C: Wales v Fiji (Stade de Bordeaux), 20:00
Thursday, 14 September
Pool A: France v Uruguay (Stade Pierre-Mauroy), 20:00
Friday, 15 September
Pool A: New Zealand v Namibia (Stadium de Toulouse), 20:00
Saturday, 16 September
Pool D: Samoa v Chile (Stade de Bordeaux), 14:00
Pool C: Wales v Portugal (Stade de Nice), 16:45
Pool D: Ireland v Tonga (Stade de la Beaujoire), 20:00
Sunday, 17 September
Pool B: South Africa v Romania (Stade de Bordeaux), 14:00
Pool C: Australia v Fiji (Stade Geoffroy-Guichard), 16:45
Pool D: England v Japan (Stade de Nice), 20:00
Wednesday, 20September
Pool A: Italy v Uruguay (Stade de Nice), 16:45
Thursday, 21 September
Pool A: France v Namibia (Stade de Marseille), 20:00
Friday, 22 September
Pool D: Argentina v Samoa (Stade Geoffroy-Guichard), 16:45pm
Saturday, 23 September
Pool C: Georgia v Portugal (Stadium de Toulouse), 13:00
Pool D: England v Chile (Stade Pierre-Mauroy), 16:45
Pool B: South Africa v Ireland (Stade de France), 20:00
Sunday, 24 September
Pool B: Scotland v Tonga (Stade de Nice), 16:45
Pool C: Wales v Australia (OL Stadium), 20:00
Wednesday, 27 September
Pool A: Uruguay v Namibia (OL Stadium), 16:45
Thursday, 28 September
Pool D: Japan v Samoa (Stade de Toulouse), 20:00
Friday, 29 September
Pool A: New Zealand v Italy (OL Stadium), 20:00
Saturday, 30 September
Pool D: Argentina v Chile (Stade de la Beaujoire), 14:00
Pool C: Fiji v Georgia (Stade de Bordeaux), 16:45
Pool B: Scotland v Romania (Stade Pierre-Mauroy), 20:00
Sunday, 1 October
Pool C: Australia v Portugal (Stade Geoffroy-Guichard), 16:45
Pool B: South Africa v Tonga (Stade de Marseille), 20:00
Thursday, 5 October
Pool A: New Zealand v Uruguay (OL Stadium), 20:00
Friday, 6 October
Pool A: France v Italy (OL Stadium), 20:00
Saturday, 7 October
Pool C: Wales v Georgia (Stade de la Beaujoire), 14:00
Pool D: England v Samoa (Stade Pierre-Mauroy), 16:45
Pool B: Ireland v Scotland (Stade de France), 20:00
Sunday, 8 October
Pool D: Japan v Argentina (Stade de la Beaujoire), 12:00
Pool B: Tonga v Romania (Stade Pierre-Mauroy), 16:45
Pool C: Fiji v Portugal (Stade de Toulouse), 20:00
Knock-out fixtures
Saturday, 14 October
Quarter-final 1: Winner Pool C v runner-up Pool D (Stade de Marseille), 16:00
Quarter-final 2: Winner Pool B v runner-up Pool A (Stade de France), 20:00
Sunday, 15 October
Quarter-final 3: Winner Pool D v runner-up Pool C (Stade de Marseille), 16:00
Quarter-final 4: Winner Pool 4 v runner-up Pool B (Stade de France), 20:00
Friday, 20 October
Semi-final 1: QF1 winner v QF2 winner (Stade de France), 20:00
Saturday, 21 October
Semi-final 2: QF3 winner v QF4 winner (Stade de France), 20:00
Friday, 27 October
Third-place match (Stade de France), 20:00
Saturday, 28 October
Final (Stade de France), 20:00
World Cup squads
Each head coach has named a 33-man squad which was submitted to World Rugby on 28 August. Changes can be made because of injury throughout the tournament.
