Tonga first up for Jones’ would-be world beaters
ENGLAND’S opening Pool C game of the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan will be against Tonga in Sapporo on September 22.
England will then face the United States in Kobe, followed by Argentina on October 5 in Tokyo, and then France in their final Pool C fixture seven days later in Yokohama.
The Sapporo Dome, venue for England’s first match, opened ahead of the 2002 FIFA World Cup and has a capacity of just over 40,000.
England head coach Eddie Jones said: “Rugby World Cup 2019 will be a brilliant experience for rugby supporters who travel to Japan. Our aim is to win Rugby World Cup 2019, and the support for the team will be an important factor.”
Pool A rivals Ireland and Scotland face each other in the first match, also on September 22, in Yokohama, while Pool D challengers Wales tackle Georgia firstup at the City of Toyota Stadium on September 23.
Reigning world champions New Zealand and their Rugby Championship rivals South Africa.
The tournament’s 48 games will be spread across 12 host cities, with each venue hosting a minimum of two matches.
World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont said: “Today the tournament comes to life for the players and fans.
“The announcement of the match schedule and ticketing programme will generate excitement as we all look ahead to a tournament that will break new ground as the first in Asia.
“We are grateful to the cities and venues who have been at the heart of this process. We know that this will be a special, once-in-alifetime opportunity for Japan to welcome the world to the whole of this great nation, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for rugby fans from around the world to experience all Japan has to offer.”
No tier two team will play against a tier oneranked nation following a short rest period and World Rugby chief executive Brett Gosper added: “The development of the match schedule is an important milestone for what will be a very special World Cup.
“Throughout this rigorous process, we have had participating team experience for teams and fans at heart.
“We have worked hard to deliver a match schedule that improves on the Rugby World Cup 2015 model, delivering a more balanced spread of matches across the four weeks of pool matches and greater rest periods for the emerging rugby nations ahead of matches against the top-ranked teams. These are the foundations that will assist the world’s top players to perform to their best.”
There are five spaces still up for grabs at RWC2019. Europe 1 will be the highest ranked team from the Rugby Europe Championship excluding Georgia who have already qualified. The side in pole position is currently Romania.
The Play-off winner will be between Samoa, third from the Pacific Nations Cup, and the second-ranked team excluding Georgia from the Rugby Europe Championship. This will be Spain as it stands. The loser will qualify for the repechage tournament.
Americas 2 will be either Canada or Uruguay, the topranked South American side after Argentina. They face a home and away playoff in January and February next year. The loser qualifies for the repechage tournament.
The winner of the 2018 Rugby Africa Championship will qualify as Africa 1, likely to be Namibia. The second-placed side will qualify for the repechage tournament, with the winner of that earning the final place.