Rugby World Cup 2023 Preview: Odds, Date, TV Channel and Host Cities for 10th edition

The Rugby World Cup is coming to France in 2023 and the most famous festival of rugby worldwide will dominate the sporting cycle upon its inception.

The fifteen-a-side game looks fiercely competitive at the moment ahead of Friday's big kick-off.

Here at BettingOdds.com, we've compiled a fact pack on the World Cup with everything you could need to know about the championship...  

When is the 2023 Rugby World Cup?

The 2023 Rugby World Cup starts on Friday 8th September, taking place over a two month period concluding of course with the World Cup Final on Saturday 28th October.

Where is the 2023 Rugby World Cup taking place?

The 2023 Rugby World Cup is being played across France over the month and a half period, with games taking place in iconic cities such as Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, Toulouse, Marseille and more. The final is unsurprisingly being held in the capital city of Paris.

What TV Channel is the Rugby World Cup on?

UK viewers can watch the Tour de France live on ITV1, ITV4 and ITVX streaming platform.

The terrestrial television provider have got exclusive rights to the tournament, with Welsh provider S4C showing live coverage of all Welsh games.

Who is the favourite to win the Rugby World Cup 2023?

As is often the case in the world of rugby, the host nation and indeed hemisphere often plays a part in the overall tournament winner odds.

With the tenth edition of the championship taking place in France, it is perhaps unsurprising to see the host nation holding favouritism with a number of bookmakers.

France have a mean defence and a menacing attacking structure, and with their partisan crowd roaring them on they look one of the teams to beat.

New Zealand have an aura few teams in sport can match and they can play a bit too. The All Blacks are right up there in the betting with hosts France who they face in a blockbuster opening game.

Judging by world rankings and recent results however, the favourite should be Ireland, who can be backed at 5/1.

After beating the All Blacks in a series in New Zealand (a seriously rare feat in rugby, with only five sides in history completing the series win) they won the Grand Slam in the Six Nations to cement themselves as the world's number one rugby nation.

Rugby league legend Andy Farrell is marking himself out as a legendary coach in the fifteen-a-side game and his team will fancy their chances of claiming a first World Cup for the Emerald Isle.

Elsewhere, defending champions South Africa can be backed around the 7/2 mark, Australia are 12/1, while 2019 runners-up England are out at 16/1.

Can England win a first World Cup since 2003?

The answer to the question in the title is of course, yes they CAN, but if they WILL remains a longshot.

England, 16/1, were put in their place in the Six Nations by Ireland and look to have it all to do if they are to turn the tables with them in a crunch knock-out game. The French would relish a victory over the English more than any other and if they are to meet on French soil in a finals game that would be a huge mountain to climb for Steve Borthwick's men.

Then of course there is always the potential of a clash with the All Blacks, who have a fine record against England at World Cups. The same can be said for The Springboks, while a match with the Australians would be more 50/50.

To conclude, England - who recently lost to Fiji - look to have it all to do if they are to be World Champions again 20 years on from the pinnacle of English Rugby so far back in Sydney.

Who will be the Top Tryscorer at the Rugby World Cup?

Heading into the tournament, the bookmakers have priced up Damian Penaud and Will Jordan as the 15/2 favourites in the Top Tryscorer market.

Frenchman Penaud scored more tries (5) than any other player at the Six Nations earlier this year, while Jordan has accumulated 22 tries in 22 appearances for the All Blacks.

Behind the two market leaders, you'll Jordan's teammates Mark Telea and Caleb Clarke, the South African duo of Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt Lee Arendse, as well as Ireland's James Lowe.