The 2023 Rugby World Cup is set to begin with a match between hosts France and top contenders New Zealand. This will be the third time that France has hosted the tournament, having also done so in 2007 and co-hosted in 1991. France beat out South Africa and Ireland to secure the hosting rights for the 2023 tournament, which will be held in nine different cities across the country.
The 2023 Rugby World Cup will be the longest edition of the tournament so far, in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the game’s invention by William Webb Ellis. To prioritize player welfare, World Rugby has implemented new measures that ensure each team will have at least five days between games. This edition of the tournament is expected to generate €457 million for the sport’s governing body, and organizers are optimistic that it will surpass the viewership of the 2019 tournament in Japan, which was watched by 857 million people.
By the end of May, almost 2.5 million tickets had already been sold, and France anticipates welcoming 600,000 international visitors during the seven-week competition. As teams finalize their preparations for the tournament, SportsPro provides a breakdown of the commercial aspects of each participating nation, including sponsors, broadcasters, and venues.
Pool A:
New Zealand: Ranked 2nd, with prominent sponsors like Adidas and Altrad.
France: Ranked 4th, with main partner Altrad and notable partners like GMF and Societe Generale.
Italy: Ranked 13th, with main partner Vittoria Assicurazioni and partners like Peroni and Suzuki.
Uruguay: Ranked 17th, with main partner Antel and partners like Nissan and Megalabs.
Namibia: Ranked 21st, main partner Windhoek Draught and partners like JSB Sports Betting.
Pool B:
South Africa: Ranked 3rd, with sponsors such as Nike and MTN.
Ireland: Ranked 1st, with sponsors like Canterbury and Vodafone.
Scotland: Ranked 5th, with main partner Peter Vardy and partners like BT and Guinness.
Tonga: Ranked 15th, with main partner IBSA and partners like Fexco and No1 Currency.
Romania: Ranked 19th, with main partner Kaufland and partners like Orange and Gilbert.
Pool C:
Wales: Ranked 9th, with main partner Vodafone and partners such as Admiral and Guinness.
Australia: Ranked 8th, with main partner Cadbury and partners like Mitsubishi Estate and Visit Victoria.
Fiji: Ranked 10th, with main partner Fiji Airways and partners such as Coca-Cola and Nike.
Georgia: Ranked 11th, with main partner Borjomi and partners such as Macron and TBC Bank.
Portugal: Ranked 16th, with main partner Santander and partners like Axians and Cartrack.
Pool D:
England: Ranked 6th, with main partner O2 and partners such as Umbro and Red Bull.
Japan: Ranked 14th, with main partner Taisho and partners like Toshiba and Mitsubishi Estate.
Argentina: Ranked 7th, with main partner Visa and sponsors like Cerveza Imperial and Gatorade.
Samoa: Ranked 12th, with main partner Samoa International Business Finance Centre and partners like Vodafone and Yazaki.
Chile: Ranked 22nd, with main partner Banco de Chile and partners like Umbro and COPEC.
The tournament will be held at various venues, including Stade de Bordeaux, Stade Pierre Mauroy, and many others across France.