2019 Rugby Union World Cup Previews, Predictions & Betting Tips
What is the Rugby Union World Cup?
The International Rugby Union World Cup is a men's professional tournament that is played every four years featuring 20 top international teams in Rugby Union. The Rugby World Cup falls under the jurisdiction of World Rugby, the sport’s governing body.
The winning team receives the prestigious Webb Ellis Cup, named after William Webb Ellis who is credited as inventing the game in 1823 while a pupil at Rugby School.
The 2019 Rugby Union World Cup will be the ninth edition of the tournament. The 20 teams will be divided into four pools with the top two teams in each pool progressing to the knockout stages.
Rugby World Cup History
The inaugural tournament was held in 1987 and co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia with the New Zealand All Blacks emerging victorious. There had long been opposition by some unions within the International Rugby Football Board (now World Rugby) about the idea of a World Cup.
Since the first tournament however, the Rugby Union World Cup has been held every four years and become the pinnacle of World Rugby. Despite being one of the world's most established rugby nations, South Africa did not participate until 1995 after the apartheid regime had been dismantled.
Where is the 2019 Rugby Union World Cup being played?
The 2019 Rugby World Cup will be held in Japan. It will be the ninth edition of the Rugby World Cup, the first tournament held in Asia and the first time consecutive tournaments have been staged in the same hemisphere.
The 2019 Rugby World Cup will also be the first tournament to he held outside the traditional rugby union countries such as Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, France, Wales and England.
When is the 2019 Rugby Union World Cup?
The 2019 Rugby World Cup starts on 20 September 2019 with host nation Japan taking on Russia at Tokyo Stadium in Chōfu. The 2019 Rugby World Cup Final will be held on 2 November 2019 at International Stadium Yokohama in Kanagawa.
What teams will contest the 2019 Rugby Union World Cup?
There will be teams from 20 different nations taking part in the tournament. The teams taking part come from regions including Africa, North America, Asia, Europe, Oceania and South America.
| Region | Team | Qualification method | Previous appearances |
|---|---|---|---|
| Africa | South Africa | Automatic | 6 |
| Africa | Namibia | Africa 1 | 5 |
| North America | United States | Americas 1 | 7 |
| North America | Canada | Repecharge | 8 |
| Asia | Japan | Hosts | 8 |
| Europe | England | Automatic | 8 |
| Europe | France | Automatic | 8 |
| Europe | Georgia | Automatic | 4 |
| Europe | Ireland | Automatic | 8 |
| Europe | Italy | Automatic | 8 |
| Europe | Russia | Europe 1 | 1 |
| Europe | Scotland | Automatic | 8 |
| Europe | Wales | Automatic | 8 |
| Oceania | Australia | Automatic | 8 |
| Oceania | Fiji | Oceania 1 | 7 |
| Oceania | New Zealand | Automatic | 8 |
| Oceania | Samoa | Play-off Winner | 7 |
| Oceania | Tonga | Oceania 2 | 7 |
| South America | Argentina | Automatic | 8 |
| South America | Uruguay | Americas 2 | 3 |
What are the Pools in the 2019 Rugby Union World Cup?
The 20 teams contesting the tournament are seeded and split between four pools. The nations in each pool are as follows:
Pool A | Pool B | Pool C | Pool D |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | New Zealand | England | Australia |
| Scotland | South Africa | France | Wales |
| Japan | Italy | Argentina | Georgia |
| Russia | Namibia | United States | Fiji |
| Samoa | Canada | Tonga | Uruguay |
2019 Rugby Union World Cup Match Schedule
| Date | Fixture | Stadium |
|---|---|---|
| 20 September 2019 | Japan vs Russia | Tokyo Stadium |
| 21 September 2019 | New Zealand vs South Africa | International Stadium Yokohama |
| 21 September 2019 | France vs Argentina | Tokyo Stadium |
| 21 September 2019 | Australia vs Fiji | Sapporo Dome |
| 22 September 2019 | Ireland vs Scotland | International Stadium Yokohama |
| 22 September 2019 | Italy vs Namibia | Hanazono Rugby Stadium |
| 22 September 2019 | England vs Tonga | Sapporo Dome |
| 23 September 2019 | Wales vs Georgia | City of Toyota Stadium |
| 24 September 2019 | Russia vs Samoa | Kumagaya Rugby Stadium |
| 25 September 2019 | Fiji vs Uruguay | Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium |
| 26 September 2019 | Italy vs Canada | Fukuoka Hakatanomori Stadium |
| 26 September 2019 | England vs United States | Kobe Misaki Stadium |
| 28 September 2019 | Japan vs Ireland | Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa |
| 28 September 2019 | South Africa vs Namibia | City of Toyota Stadium |
| 28 September 2019 | Argentina vs Tonga | Hanazono Rugby Stadium |
| 29 September 2019 | Georgia vs Uruguay | Kumagaya Rugby Stadium |
| 29 September 2019 | Australia vs Wales | Tokyo Stadium |
| 30 September 2019 | Scotland vs Samoa | Kobe Misaki Stadium |
| 2 October 2019 | New Zealand vs Canada | Oita Stadium |
| 2 October 2019 | France vs United States | Fukuoka Hakatanomori Stadium |
| 3 October 2019 | Ireland vs Russia | Kobe Misaki Stadium |
| 3 October 2019 | Georgia vs Fiji | Hanazono Rugby Stadium |
| 4 October 2019 | South Africa vs Italy | Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa |
| 5 October 2019 | Japan vs Samoa | City of Toyota Stadium |
| 5 October 2019 | England vs Argentina | Tokyo Stadium |
| 5 October 2019 | Australia vs Uruguay | Oita Stadium |
| 6 October 2019 | New Zealand vs Namibia | Tokyo Stadium |
| 6 October 2019 | France vs Tonga | Kumamoto Stadium |
| 8 October 2019 | South Africa vs Canada | Kobe Misaki Stadium |
| 9 October 2019 | Scotland vs Russia | Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa |
| 9 October 2019 | Argentina vs United States | Kumagaya Rugby Stadium |
| 9 October 2019 | Wales vs Fiji | Oita Stadium |
| 11 October 2019 | Australia vs Georgia | Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa |
| 12 October 2019 | Ireland vs Samoa | Fukuoka Hakatanomori Stadium |
| 12 October 2019 | New Zealand vs Italy | City of Toyota Stadium |
| 12 October 2019 | England vs France | International Stadium Yokohama |
| 13 October 2019 | Japan vs Scotland | International Stadium Yokohama |
| 13 October 2019 | Namibia vs Canada | Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium |
| 13 October 2019 | United States vs Tonga | Hanazono Rugby Stadium |
| 13 October 2019 | Wales vs Uruguay | Kumamoto Stadium |
| QUARTER-FINALS | ||
| 19 October 2019 | Winner of Pool C vs Runners-up of Pool D | Oita Stadium |
| 19 October 2019 | Winner of Pool B vs Runners-up of Pool A | Tokyo Stadium |
| 20 October 2019 | Winner of Pool D vs Runners-up of Pool C | Oita Stadium |
| 20 October 2019 | Winner of Pool A vs Runners-up of Pool B | Tokyo Stadium |
| SEMI-FINALS | ||
| 26 October 2019 | Winner of Quarterfinal 1 vs Winner of Quarterfinal 2 | International Stadium Yokohama |
| 27 October 2019 | Winner of Quarterfinal 3 vs Winner of Quarterfinal 4 | International Stadium Yokohama |
| BRONZE FINAL | ||
| 1 November 2019 | Loser of Semifinal 1 vs Loser of Semifinal 2 | Tokyo Stadium |
| FINAL | ||
| 2 November 2019 | Winner of Semifinal 1 vs Winner of Semifinal 2 | International Stadium Yokohama |
What Stadiums will host matches at the 2019 Rugby Union World Cup?
There are 12 different stadiums that will host matches across Japan, from the Egao Kenko Stadium in the south to the Sapporo Dome in the north.
| Stadium | Location | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo Stadium | Chōfu | 49,970 |
| International Stadium Yokoham | Yokohama | 72,327 |
| Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa | Fukuroi | 50,889 |
| Hanazono Rugby Stadium | Higashiosaka | 30,000 |
| Fukuoka Hakatanomori Stadium | Fukuoka | 22,563 |
| Sapporo Dome | Sapporo | 41,410 |
| City of Toyota Stadium | Toyota | 45,000 |
| Oita Stadium | Oita | 40,000 |
| Kumamoto Stadium | Kumamoto | 32,000 |
| Kobe Misaki Stadium | Kobe | 30,132 |
| Kumagaya Rugby Stadium | Kumagaya | 24,000 |
| Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium | Kamaishi | 16,187 |
Who has won the most Rugby Union World Cup titles?
New Zealand are the most successful nation in World Rugby having won the World Cup on three occasions, including winning the 2015 Rugby Union World Cup in England. Only four countries have ever won the tournament, the other winners being Australia and South Africa who have each won twice and England who won once.
What happened at the 2015 Rugby Union World Cup?
New Zealand beat Australia 34-17 in the 2015 Rugby World Cup final at Twickenham, having edged France 8-7 to lift the title on home soil four years earlier. No other team has successfully defended the trophy.
The Southern Hemisphere nations dominated the tournament with South Africa claiming bronze and Argentina coming fourth. Wales, France, Ireland and Scotland were eliminated in the quarter-finals and England in the pool stages.
The shock of the tournament was Japan's incredible 34-32 win over South Africa. That being said, it ultimately proved inconsequential as the Springboks recovered to top Pool B.
Who are the favourites to win the 2019 Rugby Union World Cup?
New Zealand are the clear favourites to win the 2019 Rugby Union World Cup. The All Blacks have won the last two tournaments and boast a formidable side as reflected in the odds.
Ireland are given a chance by the bookmakers with England next best, followed by South Africa, Australia and Wales.
What are the 2019 Rugby Union World Cup Betting Odds?
Correct as of 2 February 2019:
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| New Zealand | 2.20 |
| Ireland | 5.50 |
| England | 8.00 |
| South Africa | 11.00 |
| Australia | 15.00 |
| Wales | 15.00 |
| France | 26.00 |
| Argentina | 40.00 |
| Scotland | 50.00 |
Fiji, Japan, Georgia, Tonga, Samoa, Italy, United States, Canada, Uruguay, Russia and Namibia are all over 500/1 and realistically no chance of winning the 2019 Rugby Union World Cup.
What are your latest 2019 Rugby Union World Cup Betting Tips & Predictions?
It's difficult to go past New Zealand winning the 2019 Rugby Union World Cup. The All Blacks are deserved favourites to claim their third consecutive World CUp and fourth overall title. Check back closer to tournament time when our rugby union tipsters will have a range of selections from various betting markets.
How can I watch the 2019 Rugby Union World Cup?
The 2019 Rugby Union World Cup will be live streamed by bet365 to a global audience with the exception of Spain, Andorra, USA, Middle East and North Africa. Live streaming can be done on your phone, tablet or computer.
A funded account and/or bet placed 24 hours prior to game is required for access and geo-restrictions apply.
Who were the recent Rugby Union World Cup Hosts, Winners and Runners-up?
Year | Hosts | Winners | Runners-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | England | New Zealand | Australia |
| 2011 | New Zealand | New Zealand | France |
| 2007 | France | South Africa | England |
| 2003 | Australia | England | Australia |
| 1999 | Wales | Australia | France |
| 1995 | South Africa | South Africa | New Zealand |
| 1991 | Europe | Australia | England |
| 1987 | Australia & New Zealand | New Zealand | France |
What tips will you have for the 2019 Rugby Union World Cup?
At FreeTips.com we will provide 2019 Rugby Union World Cup tips which include our best win bets, first tryscorer tips, anytime tryscorer tips, game total tips, Rugby League World Cup accumulator tips and Rugby World Cup outright tips.
Our mission at FreeTips.com is to provide you with free expertly researched Rugby World Cup tips that you can use to consistently win your Rugby World Cup bets and build your bankroll.
When and where is the 2023 Rugby Union World Cup?
The 2023 Rugby Union World Cup will be held in France beween September and October 2023.
