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Rugby World Cup 2023: Match schedule, how to watch, latest news, odds

Bunker review, which is being used during World Cup tune-ups, led to Farrell's red card for his dangerous tackle on the head of Wales back-row forward Taine Basham.

Rugby World Cup 2023: Despite concerns that it has been compromised by the controversy surrounding Owen Farrell’s red card against Wales, World Rugby plans to employ the television match official ‘bunker’ technology at the World Cup next month.

Bunker review, which is being used during World Cup tune-ups, led to Farrell’s red card for his dangerous tackle on the head of Wales back-row forward Taine Basham. TV match official Brian MacNeice referred the incident to the ‘bunker’ and escalated Farrell’s yellow card to a red card after the game.

National head coaches have been privately concerned about the potential implications of the bunker process if it is used during the World Cup after the independent disciplinary panel controversially downgraded the card to yellow before it was later reinstated.

It is believed that World Rugby’s decision to appeal the downgrading of Farrell’s red card was in part to demonstrate their support for both their officials and the bunker process, albeit they have not yet officially confirmed it will be utilised during the tournament in France.

What date is the Rugby World Cup?

France will play New Zealand in the tournament’s opening game on Friday, September 8. On Saturday, October 28, 2018, the championship game will be contested.

South Africa won the tournament in Japan in 2019 after defeating England in the final, and they are expected to do well once again. After their overwhelming performance in the Rugby Championship, New Zealand remains the team to beat.

France and Six Nations Grand Slam champions Ireland, who have yet to show their best foot at a World Cup but thrashed England in a warm-up match, are among the European teams expected to pose a formidable challenge.

What happened to it?

France will host the 2023 Rugby World Cup in a total of nine different towns and stadiums. The championship game will be hosted by Saint-Denis’s (Paris) Stade de France.

Stade de France, Saint-Denis (Paris) (capacity: 80,698)
Marseille’s Stade de Marseille (capacity: 67,394)
Lyon’s OL Stadium (capacity: 59,186)
Lille’s Stade Pierre-Mauroy (capacity: 50,186)
Bordeaux’s Stade de Bordeaux (capacity: 42,115)
Attendance: 41,965 at Saint-Étienne’s Stade Geoffroy-Guichard
Nice’s Stade de Nice (capacity: 35,624)
Nantes’ Stade de la Beaujoire (seating 35,322)
Stade de Toulouse – Toulouse (Capacity: 33,150)

The Rugby World Cup, where can I find it?

In the United Kingdom, ITV has the only broadcasting rights. Once the broadcaster announces the channels for each match, we will let you know what they are.

Only the BBC’s Radio 5 Live, 5 Sports Extra, and BBC Sounds will carry the radio broadcasts of all of the games. The BBC has promised a “bespoke output” for audiences in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The tournament is being broadcast in the United States by NBC Sports. It may be shown on SuperSport in South Africa.

There have been a total of ten warmup matches shown on Amazon Prime, including all four of England’s matches.

Who’s in the game?

Twenty teams are now guaranteed to compete in the Rugby World Cup. Each of the five ‘bands’ has one team, and the twenty-five total teams have been divided into four groups of five.

The top four teams (South Africa, New Zealand, England, and Wales) were placed in Group A. This decision was decided in 2019 when the tournament brackets were drawn. Ireland, Australia, France, and Japan made up band two, and Scotland, Argentina, Fiji, and Italy made up band three.

Samoa, Georgia, Uruguay, Tonga, Namibia, Romania, Chile, and Portugal were among the teams that had to qualify for the tournament, while the top three bands consisted of the teams who had already qualified for the event based on their world ranking.