WHAT IS RUGBY WORLD CUP?

Hosted once every four years, Rugby World Cup is the sport's showpiece event. Held over the course of seven weeks, it is the third largest sports event in the world after the summer Olympic Games and the Football World Cup.

Rugby World Cup is also the financial engine behind unprecedented investment and growth in rugby worldwide. The net Rugby World Cup surplus from the commercially successful events enables the governing body World Rugby to invest in the game to support a range of major funding, initiatives including annual national union grants and strategic investments focusing on growing participation and increasing competition across all 121 national member unions affiliated to World Rugby. 

RUGBY WORLD CUP 2019

The hosting rights to Rugby World Cup 2019 were awarded to the Japanese Rugby Football Union (JRFU) in August 2009 following a vote of the World Rugby Council on a detailed hosting recommendation by the Rugby World Cup Limited Board. An extensive and robust host selection process preceded the vote with Italy and South Africa also bidding.  

THE GLOBAL GOVERNING BODY

World Rugby is the global governing body for the sport of rugby worldwide and owner of Rugby World Cup.

THE TOURNAMENT OWNER

Rugby World Cup Limited is a subsidiary of World Rugby and is responsible for the stable of showcase Rugby World Cup properties, including Rugby World Cup, Women’s Rugby World Cup and Rugby World Cup Sevens. The Board manages the detailed host selection process for each tournament, making a hosting recommendation to the World Rugby Council to consider. The Board comprises five directors.

THE TOURNAMENT ORGANISING COMMITTEE

Japan Rugby 2019 is the organising committee for Rugby World Cup 2019, established by the JRFU to manage and deliver the tournament, hosted in 12 venues across the length and breadth of the country. In all, there will be 48 matches, each one celebrating the game and engaging hundreds of millions of people around the world. 

RWC 2019 TOURNAMENT DATES

Friday, 20 September – Saturday, 2 November, 2019

TEAMS

20 participating teams

FORMAT

Total of 48 matches

Pool stages: Four pools of five teams, 40 pool matches in total

Knock-out stages: Quarter-finals, semi-finals, bronze final and final

MATCH VENUES

12 venues across Japan

OPENING MATCH

Friday, 20 September, 2019 at Tokyo Stadium

FINAL

Saturday, 2 November, 2019 at Yokohama Stadium, Kanagawa