Rugby World Cup in France: Can New Zealand aim for the title again in 2023?

From September 8, 2023 to October 28, 2023, the Rugby World Cup will be held in France. Already in 2007, the host country of the next Rugby World Cup welcomed the best rugby teams. If the result of the matches are quite according to the odds of the best sports betting sites, then in 2023 the best teams of the last World Cup will again play a major role alongside the host France.

The defending champions are the rugby team from South Africa, which defeated the team from England in the final of the last World Cup in Japan in 2019. Third after two successive World Cup titles was the record champion New Zealand, which has set its sights high for 2023 in France. The goal is clearly defined, the All Blacks want to grab the title again. If the bookmakers are anything to go by, this goal is quite realistic.

Match schedule and venues are already fixed

The Rugby World Cup 2023 in France will have a truly gigantic opening match. For the first kick-off, the Stade de France in Paris is expecting not only about 80,000 fans, but also, in addition to the host France, New Zealand, the record champion. This stadium was inaugurated on the occasion of the 1998 World Cup.

20 teams will take part in the Rugby World Cup 2023, a total of 28 matches will be played in 9 different stadiums and all hope for good results. For the first time in the history of the Rugby World Cup, the schedule provides for a 1-week extension of the match schedule. This means that the participating teams will have at least a 5-day break between their matches.

In terms of pitch capacity, Marseille ranks second behind Paris with the Stade de Vélodrome. The stadium can accommodate about 65,000 rugby fans. Almost 60,000 visitors can experience the Rugby World Cup matches in Lyon, other venues are Lille, Bordeaux, Saint-Etienne, Nantes, Nice and Toulouse.

The participants in the Rugby World Cup 2023

The Rugby World Cup in France 2023 will be held for the 10th time. A total of 20 teams will play for the title of world champion. Pre-qualified were the top three teams from each of the four group games at the last World Cup in Japan in 2019.

Led by defending champions South Africa, they include finalists England, semifinalists New Zealand and Wales, and quarterfinalists France, Ireland, Japan and Australia. They are joined by group third-place finishers Argentina, Italy, Scotland and Fiji.

There were both continental and intercontinental qualifiers for the remaining eight slots. Georgia, Romania, Uruguay, Chile, Namibia, Samoa, Tonga and Portugal qualified and complete the tournament.

The All Blacks: the very special rugby team

The New Zealand All Blacks rugby team has the status of national heroes in their own country. The team won the World Cup title in the first tournament in 1987 and won the Rugby World Cups in 2011 and 2015. Since the introduction of the world rugby rankings in 2003, New Zealand has been at the top longer than all other teams combined.

The All Blacks are known for their haka. This is a dance that is historically defined as a war chant and battle call. Before every game, the rugby team traditionally performs the “Ka Mate” haka. This show of strength and acrobatics gives spectators worldwide their first impressions of New Zealand’s Maori culture. This ritual will also be used by the rugby team to attract attention in France in 2023.

A whole country feverishly joins in

Rugby is the most popular sport in New Zealand today. But it is much more. Rugby is part of public life in this country, has become an important part of the culture. The All Blacks are revered accordingly. The nickname is due to the players’ all-black attire. Rugby has about the same status in New Zealand as soccer has in Europe or South America.

Children grow up with rugby. So an entire country will be rooting for the national team during the Rugby World Cup in France in 2023. The odds are not bad. The All Blacks should always be on your radar. So far, they have three titles to their name. In addition, the New Zealand rugby team competes annually in the Rugby Championship against Argentina, Australia and South Africa, where they are also record champions.

Who are the favorites for the 2023 Rugby World Cup?

As reigning world champions, South Africa is one of the hottest favorites. A successful title defense would be tantamount to a fourth World Cup title, making South Africa the sole record champion. As in New Zealand, the sport of rugby is incredibly popular in South Africa. Even at school, children play rugby. Opponents in the group matches from September 9, 2023 to October 08, 2023 are Ireland, Scotland, Romania and Tonga.

In the previous 9 World Cup tournaments in rugby, a team from Europe could prevail only once. In 2003, England won the title matches. At the last Rugby World Cup in Japan, England was runner-up. Due to this success and the triumph of the Six Nations tournament in 2020, England’s rugby team is one of the closer favorites in 2023. The preliminary round opponents are Japan, Argentina, Chile and Samoa.

The host is also often mentioned. France has the most registered rugby players on the entire globe with just over half a million, but the world championship title has so far eluded them. After all, the national rugby team has reached the final three times so far. The enthusiasm in the country is great, and perhaps France can benefit from the home advantage. France will face New Zealand, Italy, Uruguay and Namibia in its group.

New Zealand is expected to achieve a lot in 2023

For the three-time world champions New Zealand, the 2023 Rugby World Cup gets down to business right from the start. The All Blacks will face hosts France in the opening match. The other group opponents are Uruguay, Namibia and Italy. The world’s rugby fans know that New Zealand’s players don’t just attract attention with their pre-match war dance.

The last time New Zealand won the World Cup was in 2015. The team has a positive record against all participants in the 2023 World Cup in France. Even though the All Blacks’ recent games have been less than convincing, the team is always a force to be reckoned with. The team is hot for the title and knows that an entire country is behind it.

Head coach since 2019 is previous assistant Ian Foster. He knows the team extremely well. The disappointing semifinal defeat to England at the last World Cup has long since been put behind them and rehashed. With the right lessons learned, New Zealand is reaching for the title even without top performers like captain Kieran Read. The coach has a mix of experienced and young players at his disposal.