Countdown to glory 

Anticipation builds for the Rugby World Cup 

For rugby fans around the world, excitement is mounting as the much-anticipated Rugby World Cup 2023 draws ever closer. With France’s rich sporting history and renowned competitiveness, this is a spectacle that promises to deliver an unforgettable feast of intense competition. With kick-off almost upon us, teams are fine-tuning their tactics and fans are ready to enjoy the hard-hitting action and inevitable sporting drama, with most of the action available to watch live on ITV.

Dates and venues

From 8th September to 28th October 2023, rugby fanatics will witness a spectacle of epic proportions, spread across 10 iconic stadiums throughout France. From the grand Stade de France in Saint-Denis to the charming Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Étienne, each venue will contribute its unique atmosphere to the tournament. France’s passion for rugby, combined with the draw of these wonderful stadiums, is sure to create an unforgettable atmosphere.

Trophy 

The winners of the World Cup are presented with the Webb Ellis Cup, which is named after William Webb Ellis and was created in 1906 by Garrard’s Crown Jewellers.

William Webb Ellis (24 November 1806 – 24 January 1872) was an English clergyman who, by tradition, has been credited as the inventor of rugby football while a pupil at a school in Rugby. According to legend, Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran with it during a school football match in 1823, thus creating the ‘rugby’ style of play. Although the story has become firmly entrenched in the sport’s folklore, it is not supported by first-hand evidence, with the story emerging only after Webb Ellis’s death. Australians simply refer to the trophy as ‘Bill’.

Contenders and dark horses

As the world’s premier rugby competition, the Rugby World Cup is set to feature a formidable line-up of teams vying for glory. Traditional powerhouses such as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and England are expected to enter the tournament with their sights firmly set on the ultimate prize. 

The All Blacks, renowned for their graceful yet powerful style of play, will be eager to reclaim the title they narrowly missed out on in the previous edition. Meanwhile the Springboks, defending champions from 2019, will bring their ferocious physicality to the field, aiming to etch their dominance in rugby history.

Keep an eye on Argentina, who have been steadily rising in the ranks and could prove to be a formidable challenge for any opponent. And let’s not forget the Brave Blossoms of Japan, who have captured hearts with their remarkable performances in recent years. Their agility and fluidity of play could once again make them everyone’s second team to follow.

Rivalries and clashes

The Rugby World Cup is a canvas for historic rivalries to unfold on a global stage. Potential quarter- final clashes like England v Wales/Australia, Ireland v France, or South Africa v New Zealand certainly whet the appetite!

Beyond the well-established rivalries, the unpredictable nature of the tournament promises to give rise to new storylines. The quest for supremacy will see veterans clash with rookies, and every match will be a high-stakes showdown as teams seek to outwit and outplay each other.

Global celebration 

The Rugby World Cup is not just about what happens on the field; it’s a celebration of the sport’s global community. Fans from all corners of the world will gather to share in the joy of rugby, transcending cultural and linguistic boundaries. The streets of French cities will resonate with the cheers of supporters from every nation, creating an atmosphere of unity and friendship.

As the countdown clock ticks away, anticipation reaches a fever pitch. The Rugby World Cup promises to deliver moments of triumph, heartbreak and bring new sporting history. From the Haka to the anthems, from the tackles to the tries, we will enjoy the magic of a Rugby World Cup competition once again.

Home nations hope

England – With an ageing squad and a recent warm up defeat to Wales (20-9) Steve Borthwick’s side do look somewhat disjointed; however on the positive side vice-

captain Courtney Lawes has returned to fitness and with talisman Owen Farrell at fly-half you would like to think progression to at least the semi-finals is a realistic possibility and from there, anything could happen. Farrell was red-carded in a recent warm-up game however he avoided suspension when the disciplinary panel downgraded the red to yellow; thus freeing him to play in the World Cup.

Scotland – With one of their strongest squads for some time teamed with a recent warm-up victory (25-21) and narrow defeat (30-27) against tournament favourites France, the Scots morale is high. However, they do find themselves in the most difficult pool, with reigning champions South Africa and the much-fancied Irish.

Wales – With Kiwi Warren Gatland brought back in to take charge early this year the Welsh will be hoping that he can repeat the successes of his first spell (2007-2019)where he managed to lead them into two semi-finals and a quarter-final. Who’s to say that they can’t reach another semi-final this time around?

Ireland – Serial World Cup under performers come into this tournament in great shape having beaten pretty much everyone of note in the last twelve months, including winning the Grand Slam earlier this year. Despite having failed at the quarter-final stage an incredible 7 times in previous World Cups the World ranked Number 1 Irish have a genuine chance of going all the way this year.

Tournament format

A total of 20 teams have qualified to compete and are split into the 4 pools below (leagues). Each pool gets one team from each of the 5 bands. The teams in the first three bands qualified automatically due to their world ranking.

Band 1 – is comprised of the four highest-ranked teams at the time of the draw: South Africa, New Zealand, England and Wales.

Band 2 – featured the next 4 highest-ranked teams: Ireland, Australia, France and Japan.

Band 3 – included the next 4: Scotland, Argentina, Fiji and Italy.

Bands 4 and 5 – were made up of teams who made it through after qualification: Zambia, Georgia, Uruguay and Tonga, Namibia, Romania, Chile and Portugal.

Teams in their respective pool will play each other once, with the top two teams in each pool moving through to the Quarter Final knockout stage. *Current world rankings are in brackets.

Pool A – New Zealand (2), France (3), Italy (13), Uruguay (17), Namibia (21)

Pool B – South Africa (4), Ireland (1), Scotland (5), Tonga (15), Romania (19)

Pool C – Wales (10), Australia (8), Fiji (9), Georgia (11), Portugal (16)

Pool D – England (6), Japan (14), Argentina (7), Samoa (12), Chile (22)

Since the first Rugby World Cup in 1987 there have only actually been 4 winners:

New Zealand 1987, 2011, 2015 

South Africa 1995, 2007, 2019 

Australia 1991, 1999 

England 2003

Could this be the year that a new team lifts the Webb Ellis Cup?