Rugby World Cup 2023: All Blacks to face France in highly successful opening match

Three-time champion New Zealand and three-time runner-up France will meet in a grand opening match of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

The two nations have combined to offer some of the most storied matches in tournament history, including the 1987 and 2011 Finals, both won by the All Blacks.

Hosts France and New Zealand will kick off the tenth edition on Friday, September 8, 2023 at the Stade de France in Paris.

In the national stadium, Australia, twice champions, will play the following day against a European team yet to be decided in Group C. Ireland will open the same Saturday at Bordeaux wine, also against a European team in Group B.

A highly successful opening weekend presents the 2019 finalists in action in the south of Marseille. Defending champion South Africa will begin her career for a record fourth world title against Scotland in Group B on September 10, a day after defeated finalist England, 2003 champions, meet Argentina in Group D at Stade Velodrome with capacity for 67,000 people.

Wales and flamboyant Fiji will meet in Group C on September 10 in Bordeaux in what is usually a spectacular event, filled with aggressive and aggressive rugby. Their last group match at the 2019 World Cup in Japan ended in an incident filled with a 29-17 victory for Wales.

The 20-team tournament has been extended to eight weeks with the well-being of the players in mind. An increased team of 33 players, with at least five days between games for all teams, will aid in recovery and preparation time.

The matches will take place in nine cities in France and each city will host a minimum of four games. All matches will take place between Wednesday and Sunday to maximize fan attendance, organizers said, adding that ticket sales details will be announced next Thursday.

“It has been developed with the teams and fans in mind and we are confident that it will provide the best possible platform for an exciting, historic and very special Rugby World Cup,” said World Rugby President Bill Beaumont. “I know I speak on behalf of fans around the world when I say that 2023 cannot come fast enough.”

Vice President Bernard Laporte expressed optimism that the tournament will capture the public imagination, as it did when France lost the venue in 2007.

“It has everything: the 20 best teams in the world, 48 games and 51 days of celebration,” said Laporte, who coached France in 2007 and is now president of the French Rugby Federation. “This match schedule will delight all rugby fans around the world. We have given each host city the opportunity to shine.”

The best two sides of each group advance to the quarterfinals.

The group stage for the 2023 tournament concludes with Six Nations rivals Scotland and Ireland meeting in Paris on October 7 and fan favorite Japan taking on Argentina in Nantes on October 8.

Stade Velodrome and Stade de France share the quarter-finals.

The Stade de France, with a capacity for 80,000 spectators, will host the final on October 28, as well as the semi-finals and the tiebreaker for third place.

The New Zealand-France game in Group A evokes memories of the dramatic 1999 semi-finals and 2007 quarter-finals, both won by Les Tricolores.

However, New Zealand has never lost a group match at a World Cup.

France should benefit from playing at home and they are on the rise with one of the most talented young squads in international football.

Meanwhile, Australia is chasing its first crown since defeating France in 99.