Rugby World Cup 2023 kick-off times: How to follow on the BBC, fixture list, results, pools and tournament rules

Hosts: France Dates: 8 September to 28 October
Coverage: Full commentary of every game across BBC Radio 5 Live and Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, plus text updates on the BBC Sport website and app.

The 10th Rugby World Cup takes place in France from 8 September until 28 October.

You can follow live commentary of all 48 matches across BBC Radio 5 Live, Sports Extra, BBC Sounds, the BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport app.

There will be live text commentary, live scores and reports of all the games on the BBC Sport website.

In the UK, the tournament will be televised on ITV.

BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio Ulster will produce bespoke output for their teams.

When do the British and Irish teams play this week?

Scotland are the only one of the four teams in action this week – England, Wales and Ireland all have a rest week. Scotland play Romania in Lille on Saturday as they seek to close the gap on Ireland and South Africa at the top of Pool B.

What pools are England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland in?

Pool A: New Zealand, France, Italy, Uruguay, Namibia
Pool B: South Africa, Ireland, Scotland, Tonga, Romania
Pool C: Wales, Australia, Fiji, Georgia, Portugal
Pool D: England, Japan, Argentina, Samoa, Chile

World Cup pool stage fixtures

All times are BST unless stated and are subject to change. The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made. Coverage is only available for UK users

Week four

Wednesday, 27 September

Pool A: Uruguay v Namibia (OL Stadium), 16:45

Thursday, 28 September

Pool D: Japan v Samoa (Stade de Toulouse), 20:00

Friday, 29 September

Pool A: New Zealand v Italy (OL Stadium), 20:00

Saturday, 30 September

Pool D: Argentina v Chile (Stade de la Beaujoire), 14:00

Pool C: Fiji v Georgia (Stade de Bordeaux), 16:45

Pool B: Scotland v Romania (Stade Pierre-Mauroy), 20:00

Sunday, 1 October

Pool C: Australia v Portugal (Stade Geoffroy-Guichard), 16:45

Pool B: South Africa v Tonga (Stade de Marseille), 20:00

Week five

Thursday, 5 October

Pool A: New Zealand v Uruguay (OL Stadium), 20:00

Friday, 6 October

Pool A: France v Italy (OL Stadium), 20:00

Saturday, 7 October

Pool C: Wales v Georgia (Stade de la Beaujoire), 14:00

Pool D: England v Samoa (Stade Pierre-Mauroy), 16:45

Pool B: Ireland v Scotland (Stade de France), 20:00

Sunday, 8 October

Pool D: Japan v Argentina (Stade de la Beaujoire), 12:00

Pool B: Tonga v Romania (Stade Pierre-Mauroy), 16:45

Pool C: Fiji v Portugal (Stade de Toulouse), 20:00

Tournament rules

In the pool stage, teams receive four points for a win and two for a draw. A bonus point is awarded for scoring four tries or for a defeat by seven points or fewer.

The winner and runner-up in each pool qualify for the quarter-finals. If two teams are tied on the same number of points, the winner of the match between those teams will go through regardless of points difference.

Where are matches being played?

Matches will be played across nine host cities – Paris, Marseille, Nice, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Lyon, Lille, Saint-Etienne and Nantes.

World Cup knockout fixtures

If teams are tied at full-time in the knockout stages, then the winner shall be determined through extra time, then sudden death if there’s still no winner and finally a kicking competition if the scores are still tied.

Saturday, 14 October

Quarter-final 1: Winner Pool C v runner-up Pool D (Stade de Marseille), 16:00

Quarter-final 2: Winner Pool B v runner-up Pool A (Stade de France), 20:00

Sunday, 15 October

Quarter-final 3: Winner Pool D v runner-up Pool C (Stade de Marseille), 16:00

Quarter-final 4: Winner Pool A v runner-up Pool B (Stade de France), 20:00

Friday, 20 October

Semi-final 1: QF1 winner v QF2 winner (Stade de France), 20:00

Saturday, 21 October

Semi-final 2: QF3 winner v QF4 winner (Stade de France), 20:00

Friday, 27 October

Third-place match (Stade de France), 20:00

Saturday, 28 October

Final (Stade de France), 20:00

World Cup pool stage results

Friday, 8 September

Pool A: France 27-13 New Zealand (Stade de France)

Saturday, 9 September

Pool A: Italy 52-8 Namibia (Stade Geoffroy-Guichard)

Pool B: Ireland 82-8 Romania (Stade de Bordeaux)

Pool C: Australia 35-15 Georgia (Stade de France)

Pool D: England 27-10 Argentina (Stade de Marseille)

Sunday, 10 September

Pool D: Japan 42-12 Chile (Stade de Toulouse)

Pool B: South Africa 18-3 Scotland (Stade de Marseille)

Pool C: Wales 32-26 Fiji (Stade de Bordeaux)

Thursday, 14 September

Pool A: France 27-12 Uruguay (Stade Pierre-Mauroy)

Friday, 15 September

Pool A: New Zealand 71-3 Namibia (Stadium de Toulouse)

Saturday, 16 September

Pool D: Samoa 43-10 Chile (Stade de Bordeaux)

Pool C: Wales 28-8 Portugal (Stade de Nice)

Pool B: Ireland 59-16 Tonga (Stade de la Beaujoire)

Sunday, 17 September

Pool B: South Africa 76-0 Romania (Stade de Bordeaux)

Pool C: Australia 15-22 Fiji (Stade Geoffroy-Guichard)

Pool D: England 34-12 Japan (Stade de Nice)

Wednesday, 20 September

Pool A: Italy 38-17 Uruguay (Stade de Nice)

Thursday, 21 September

Pool A: France 96-0 Namibia (Stade de Marseille)

Friday, 22 September

Pool D: Argentina 19-10 Samoa (Stade Geoffroy-Guichard)

Saturday, 23 September

Pool C: Georgia 18-18 Portugal (Stadium de Toulouse)

Pool D: England 71-0 Chile (Stade Pierre-Mauroy)

Pool B: South Africa 8-13 Ireland (Stade de France)

Sunday, 24 September

Pool B: Scotland 45-17 Tonga (Stade de Nice)

Pool C: Wales 40-6 Australia (OL Stadium)

World Cup squads

Each head coach has named a 33-man squad which was submitted to World Rugby on 28 August. Changes can be made because of injury throughout the tournament.