Rugby, guide to the World Cup: dates, formula, groups and Italy’s opponents

The 10th edition of the Rugby World Cup will get underway at the Stade de France in Paris on Friday 8 September. A strong start, with the host country France challenging the All Blacks in the first match of group A, in which the Italy with Uruguay and Namibia. The Azzurri will take the field on September 9th at 1pm against Namibia, September 20th at 5.45pm against Uruguay, September 29th at 9pm against New Zealand and October 6th at 9pm against France. The group stage includes 40 matches and will last exactly one month, from 8 September to 8 October. The quarter-finals will be played on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 October, the semi-finals will be played on Friday 20 and Saturday 21 October, the final for 3rd place will be played on Friday 27 October and the final will be held at the Stade de France on Saturday 28 which will award the 10th World Champion.

THE FORMULA

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The first phase includes 4 groups of 5 teams: the first 2 access the quarter-finals, while the third – although eliminated – still earns automatic qualification for the next World Cup, that of 2027. The first of each group will face the second-placed in the quarter-finals , according to an already pre-established draw with crossings between groups A and B and groups C and D. From the quarter-finals onwards there will be only direct elimination matches. The assignment of scores in the first phase is the usual one: with 4 points for the winner, 2 each for a tie and 0 for the loser. In addition to the basic scores, there are 2 chances to obtain the bonus point: by losing by 7 or less points or by scoring at least 4 tries. It is also possible to obtain both in the same game, thus earning 2 points in case of defeat.

THE GROUPS

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There have been many controversies in the months leading up to the start of the World Cup: World Rugby’s choice to make the draws in December 2020 has led to unbalanced groups, because many values ​​have changed over the past 3 years. France, which at that time was 7th in the ranking and coming out of a long crisis, are now among the big favorites but are in the same group as the All Blacks, while Wales are seeded by virtue of the results obtained until 2020, but now he’s in great difficulty and instead has more affordable opponents at his disposal (but watch out for Fiji, who beat England at the end of August). Defending champions South Africa are placed in Group B with Ireland, another big favorite, and the always formidable Scotland, while in Group D England will have to contend with Argentina, Japan and Samoa reinforced by the presence of former All players Blacks and Australia in pink (thanks to the new rules) and intending to look for the company.

Group A: New Zealand, France, ItalyUruguay, Namibia

Group B: South Africa, Ireland, Scotland, Tonga, Romania

Group C: Wales, Australia, Fiji, Georgia, Portugal

Group D: England, Argentina, Japan, Samoa, Chile

THE STADIUMS

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There are 9 facilities that will host the Rugby World Cup matches. The final, semi-finals and two quarter-finals will be played at the Stade de France in Paris, while another two quarter-finals will be played at the Velodrome in Marseille. Italy will play against Namibia at the Geoffroy Guichard in Saint-Étienne, where the now famous match of the 2007 World Cup against Scotland was played, lost after a missed kick by Bortolussi at the end. Italy-Uruguay will instead be played at the Allianz Riviera in Nice, while the matches against France and the All Blacks will be played at Parc OL, home of soccer’s Olympique Lyonnais. The other stadiums used for the World Cup will be the Matmut-Atlantique in Bordeaux, the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes, the Pierre Mauroy in Villeneuve-d’Ascq (Lille) and the Municipal in Toulouse.

WHERE TO SEE THE RUGBY WORLD CUP

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The Rugby World Cup will be broadcast entirely by Sky Sports, which will broadcast all 48 matches of the Tournament. Italy’s matches, those of the knockout stage and some of the most important of the group stage (including France-All Blacks with the opening ceremony) will also be broadcast unencrypted by Rai. The matches of the Azzurri will be broadcast on Rai 2.