Rugby World Cup 2023: Ireland to kick-off in Bordeaux

If the secret to winning major tournaments - or even progressing beyond the quarter-finals - is peaking at the right time, then September 23rd will be circled on Irish calendars after the pool fixtures for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France were released on Friday.

That is the date Andy Farrell – providing he is still at the helm – will lead his side into a third round clash with the defending world champions, South Africa, at the Stade de France. A daunting but mouth-watering proposition.

Ireland will be hoping to head into the fixture on full points, after they were drawn to play two qualifiers in the opening two rounds.

On Saturday, September 9th they meet the European runners-up in Bordeaux – this is likely to be one of Georgia or Russia, who they faced in the 2019 pool stages.

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Ireland’s second fixture will be played in Nantes against the winner of an Asia-Oceania play-off, with Tonga or Samoa – another side they met in 2019 – the likely opponents.

Then it’s a first trip to the capital and the familiar surroundings of the Stade de France, where the Springboks will be lying in wait.

Two weeks after a bruising encounter with the world champions they take on Scotland in Paris on October 7th, a fixture which is likely to be a straight shootout for the knockout stages.

Should they progress, Ireland will then meet the winners or runners-up of Pool A, which includes France and New Zealand, on the weekend of October 14th-15th – again at the Stade de France.

The tournament will be given a highly-charged opening when the hosts meet the All Blacks in Paris for a September 8th curtain-raiser – the latest chapter in their storied World Cup history, with the losers knowing they could be facing Ireland in the last-eight.

Elsewhere, Wales once again find themselves grouped with Fiji and Australia – they meet the Pacific Islanders in the opening round on September 10th before meeting the Wallabies in Lyon in round three.

England, beaten finalists in 2019, begin their campaign against Argentina in Marseille on September 9th, followed eight days later by a clash with Japan in Nice.

Attending fixtures still seems a distant dream – but details of when and where tickets will go on sale will be announced on March 4th. Fans wishing to register their interest can do so at tickets.rugbyworldcup.com.

The first tranche of tickets will be made available to World Rugby’s official travel partners next month with Killester Travel operating as the Irish agent.

Rugby World Cup 2023 fixtures (All kick-off times tbc)

Friday, September 8th

Pool A
France v New Zealand, Stade De France, Paris

Saturday, September 9th

Pool A
Italy v Africa 1, Stade Geoffroy Guichard, Saint-Étienne

Pool B
Ireland v Europe 2, Stade De Bordeaux, Bordeaux

Pool C
Australia v Europe 1, Stade De France, Paris

Pool D
England v Argentina, Stade Vélodrome, Marseille

Sunday, September 10th

Pool D
Japan v Americas 2, Stadium De Toulouse, Toulouse

Pool B
South Africa v Scotland, Stade Vélodrome, Marseille

Pool C
Wales v Fiji, Stade De Bordeaux, Bordeaux

Thursday, September 14th

Pool A
France v Americas 1, Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille

Friday, September 15th

Pool A
New Zealand v Africa 1, Stadium De Toulouse, Toulouse

Saturday, September 16th

Pool D
Oceania 1 v Americas 2, Stade De Bordeaux, Bordeaux

Pool C
Wales v Final Qualifier Winner, Stade De Nice, Nice

Pool B
Ireland v Asia / Pacific 1, Stade De La Beaujoire, Nantes

Sunday, September 17th

Pool B
South Africa v Europe 2, Stade De Bordeaux, Bordeaux

Pool C
Australia v Fiji, Stade Geoffroy Guichard, Saint-Étienne

Pool D
England v Japan, Stade De Nice, Nice

Wednesday, September 20th

Pool A
Italy v Americas 1, Stade De Nice, Nice

Thursday, September 21st

Pool A
France v Africa 1, Stade Vélodrome, Marseille

Friday, September 22nd

Pool D
Argentina v Oceania 1, Stade Geoffroy Guichard, Saint-Étienne

Saturday, September 23rd

Pool C
Europe 1 v Final Qualifier Winner, Stadium De Toulouse, Toulouse

Pool D
England v Americas 2, Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille

Pool B
South Africa v Ireland, Stade De France, Paris

Sunday, September 24th

Pool B
Scotland v Asia / Pacific 1, Stade De Nice, Nice

Pool C
Wales v Australia, Parc Ol, Lyon

Wednesday, September 27th

Pool A
Americas 1 v Africa 1, Parc Ol, Lyon

Thursday, September 28th

Pool D
Japan v Oceania 1, Stadium De Toulouse, Toulouse

Friday, September 29th

Pool A
New Zealand v Italy, Parc Ol, Lyon

Saturday, September 30th

Pool D
Argentina v Americas 2, Stade De La Beaujoire, Nantes

Pool C
Fiji v Europe 1, Stade De Bordeaux, Bordeaux

Pool B
Scotland v Europe 2, Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille

Sunday, October 1st

Pool C
Australia v Final Qualifier Winner, Stade Geoffroy Guichard, Saint-Étienne

Pool B
South Africa v Asia / Pacific 1, Stade Vélodrome, Marseille

Thursday, October 5th

Pool A
New Zealand v Americas 1, Parc Ol, Lyon

Friday, October 6th

Pool A
France v Italy, Parc Ol, Lyon

Saturday, October 7th

Pool C
Wales v Europe 1, Stade De La Beaujoire, Nantes

Pool D
England v Oceania 1, Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille

Pool B
Ireland v Scotland, Stade De France, Saint-Denis

Sunday, October 8th

Pool D
Japan v Argentina, Stade De La Beaujoire, Nantes

Pool B
Asia / Pacific 1 v Europe 2, Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille

Pool C
Fiji v Final Qualifier Winner, Stadium De Toulouse, Toulouse

Saturday, October 14th

Quarter-Final 1
Winner Pool C v Runner-Up Pool D, Stade Vélodrome, Marseille

Quarter-Final 2
Winner Pool B v Runner-Up Pool A, Stade De France, Paris

Sunday, October 15th

Quarter-Final 3
Winner Pool D v Runner-Up Pool C, Stade Vélodrome, Marseille

Quarter-Final 4
Winner Pool A v Runner-Up Pool B, Stade De France, Paris

Friday, October 20th

Semi-Final 1
Winner Quarter-Final 1 v Winner Quarter-Final 2, Stade De France, Paris

Saturday, October 21st

Semi-Final 2
Winner Quarter-Final 3 v Winner Quarter-Final 4, Stade De France, Paris

Friday, October 27th

Third Placed Playoff
Runner-Up Semi-Final 1 v Runner-Up Semi-Final 2, Stade De France, Paris

Saturday, October 28th

Final 
Winner Semi-Final 1 v Winner Semi-Final 2, Stade De France, Saint-Denis