The 2023 Rugby World cup features four pools of five teams playing 40 matches in pursuit of places in the knockout stage.
The tournament began on September 8, when hosts France shocked the team who finished third in Japan four years ago, New Zealand.
A total of 48 matches were played over seven weeks and the final saw New Zealand take on defending champions South Africa, who won 12-11 in a close encounter at the Stade de France.
The Sporting News followed all of the action, including live updates on results, tables and the knockout stage.
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Rugby World Cup 2023 tournament format
The top two teams from each group (A-D) advanced to the knockout phase, which begins with the quarterfinals, followed by the semifinals, the bronze final for third place and the final.
During the group stage, four points were awarded for a win, two for a draw and none for a defeat. Scoring four tries and/or losing by fewer than eight points are each worth a bonus point. The two teams with the greatest number of points in each group qualified for the knockout stage.
For teams level on points, the following criteria were used to decide placings, listed in order of use:
- The winner when the teams played each other
- The team with the best difference between points scored and conceded in pool matches
- The team with the best difference between tries scored and tries conceded in pool matches
- The scorers of the most points in pool matches
- The scores of the most tries in pool matches
- The team with the higher official ranking
Complete Rugby World Cup 2023 schedule, fixtures
- Group stage: September 8 — October 8
- Quarterfinals: October 14-15
- Semifinals: October 20-21
- Bronze final: October 27
- Final: October 28
Rugby World Cup 2023 Pool A table
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | PF | PA | PD | T | BP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | 18 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 210 | 32 | +178 | 27 | 2 |
| New Zealand | 15 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 253 | 47 | +206 | 38 | 3 |
| Italy | 10 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 114 | 181 | -67 | 15 | 2 |
| Uruguay | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 65 | 164 | -99 | 9 | 1 |
| Namibia | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 37 | 255 | -218 | 3 | 0 |
Pool A fixtures, results
| Date | Match | Highlights | City |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Sept 8 | France 27-13 New Zealand | Highlights | Saint-Denis |
| Sat, Sept 9 | Italy 52-8 Namibia | Highlights | Saint-Etienne |
| Thur, Sept 14 | France 27-12 Uruguay | Highlights | Lille |
| Fri, Sept 15 | New Zealand 71-3 Namibia | Highlights | Toulouse |
| Wed, Sept 20 | Italy 38-17 Uruguay | Highlights | Nice |
| Thur, Sept 21 | France 96-0 Namibia | Highlights | Marseille |
| Wed, Sept 27 | Uruguay 36-26 Namibia | Highlights | Lyon |
| Fri, Sept 29 | New Zealand 96-17 Italy | Highlights | Lyon |
| Thurs, Oct 5 | New Zealand 73-0 Uruguay | Highlights | Lyon |
| Fri, Oct 6 | France 60-7 Italy | Highlights | Lyon |
Rugby World Cup 2023 Pool B table
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | PF | PA | PD | T | BP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 19 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 190 | 46 | +144 | 27 | 3 |
| South Africa | 15 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 151 | 34 | +117 | 22 | 3 |
| Scotland | 10 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 146 | 71 | +75 | 21 | 2 |
| Tonga | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 96 | 177 | -81 | 13 | 1 |
| Romania | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 32 | 287 | -255 | 4 | 0 |
Pool B fixtures, results
| Date | Match | Highlights | City |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Sept 9 | Ireland 82-8 Romania | Highlights | Bordeaux |
| Sun, Sept 10 | South Africa 18-3 Scotland | Highlights | Marseille |
| Sat, Sept 16 | Ireland 59-16 Tonga | Highlights | Nantes |
| Sun, Sept 17 | South Africa 76-0 Romania | Highlights | Bordeaux |
| Sat, Sept 23 | South Africa 8-13 Ireland | Highlights | Saint-Denis |
| Sun, Sept 24 | Scotland 45-17 Tonga | Highlights | Nice |
| Sat, Sept 30 | Scotland 84-0 Romania | Highlights | Lille |
| Sun, Oct 1 | South Africa 49-18 Tonga | Highlights | Marseille |
| Sat, Oct 7 | Ireland 36-14 Scotland | Highlights | Saint-Denis |
| Sun, Oct 8 | Tonga 45-24 Romania | Highlights | Lille |
Rugby World Cup 2023 Pool C table
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | PF | PA | PD | T | BP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wales | 19 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 143 | 59 | +84 | 17 | 3 |
| Fiji | 11 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 88 | 83 | +5 | 9 | 3 |
| Australia | 11 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 90 | 91 | -1 | 11 | 3 |
| Portugal | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 64 | 103 | -39 | 6 | 0 |
| Georgia | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 64 | 113 | -49 | 7 | 1 |
Pool C fixtures, results
| Date | Match | Highlights | City |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Sept 9 | Australia 35-15 Georgia | Highlights | Saint-Denis |
| Sun, Sept 10 | Wales 32-26 Fiji | Highlights | Bordeaux |
| Sat, Sept 16 | Wales 28-8 Portugal | Highlights | Nice |
| Sun, Sept 17 | Australia 15-22 Fiji | Highlights | Saint-Etienne |
| Sat, Sept 23 | Georgia 18-18 Portugal | Highlights | Toulouse |
| Sun, Sept 24 | Wales 40-6 Australia | Highlights | Lyon |
| Sat, Sept 30 | Fiji 17-12 Georgia | Highlights | Bordeaux |
| Sun, Oct 1 | Australia 34-14 Portugal | Highlights | Saint-Etienne |
| Sat, Oct 7 | Wales 43-19 Georgia | Highlights | Nantes |
| Sun, Oct 8 | Fiji 23-24 Portugal | Highlights | Toulouse |
Rugby World Cup 2023 Pool D table
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | PF | PA | PD | T | BP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 18 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 150 | 39 | +111 | 17 | 2 |
| Argentina | 14 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 127 | 69 | +58 | 15 | 2 |
| Japan | 9 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 109 | 107 | +2 | 12 | 1 |
| Samoa | 7 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 92 | 75 | +17 | 11 | 3 |
| Chile | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 27 | 215 | -188 | 4 | 0 |
Pool D fixtures, results
| Date | Match | Highlights | City |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Sept 9 | England 27-10 Argentina | Highlights | Marseille |
| Sun, Sept 10 | Japan 42-12 Chile | Highlights | Toulouse |
| Sat, Sept 16 | Samoa 43-10 Chile | Highlights | Bordeaux |
| Sun, Sept 17 | England 34-12 Japan | Highlights | Nice |
| Fri, Sept 22 | Argentina 19-10 Samoa | Highlights | Saint-Etienne |
| Sat, Sept 23 | England 71-0 Chile | Highlights | Lille |
| Thur, Sept 28 | Japan 28-22 Samoa | Highlights | Toulouse |
| Sat, Sept 30 | Argentina 59-5 Chile | Highlights | Nantes |
| Sat, Oct 7 | England 18-17 Samoa | Highlights | Lille |
| Sun, Oct 8 | Japan 27-39 Argentina | Highlights | Nantes |
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Rugby World Cup 2023 Quarterfinals
| Date | Match | Highlights | City |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Oct 14 | QF1: Wales 17-29 Argentina | Highlights | Marseille |
| Sat, Oct 14 | QF2: Ireland 24-28 New Zealand | Highlights | Saint-Denis |
| Sun, Oct 15 | QF3: England 30-24 Fiji | Highlights | Marseille |
| Sun, Oct 15 | QF4: France 28-29 South Africa | Highlights | Saint-Denis |
Rugby World Cup 2023 Semifinals
| Date | Match | Highlights | City |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Oct 20 | SF1: Argentina 6-44 New Zealand | Highlights | Saint-Denis |
| Sat, Oct 21 | SF2: England 15-16 South Africa | Highlights | Saint-Denis |
Rugby World Cup 2023 Bronze Final
| Date | Match | Highlights | City |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Oct 27 | Argentina 23-26 England | Highlights | Saint-Denis |
Rugby World Cup 2023 Final
| Date | Match | Highlights | City |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Oct 28 | New Zealand 11-12 South Africa | TBA | Saint-Denis |