Japan reveal their 'home' for World Cup
NEWS: Japan will be based in Toulouse during the 2023 World Cup in France, tournament organisers announced on Friday.
The Brave Blossoms will play two of their four Pool D matches at the home of the current French champions, against either Chile or the USA, and Samoa. They will also face England in Nice and Argentina in Nantes.
Japan, quarter-finalists in the 2019 edition on home soil, will have a dress rehearsal of conditions in Toulouse when they meet France there in the third of the Six Nations champions’ November Tests later this year, organisers announced.
France will also face Australia at the Stade de France on November 5 and South Africa in Marseille a week later.
Meanwhile, the Springboks revealed last month that they have selected Toulon as their base for the pool stages of the World Cup in 2023 in France.
The team set to be based in Paris for their third pool match against Ireland at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.
The defending champions and current top-ranked team on the World rankings had a selection of three potential bases in the south of France.
Following a thorough inspection of the options by Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber and the team’s head of operations Charles Wessels at the conclusion of the Boks’ November tour to the UK in 2021, a decision was made to select the city on the Mediterranean coast as their preferred base for the international extravaganza.
The Springboks will launch their title defence against Scotland (September 10) at Stade Vélodrome in Marseille, before lining up against Spain at Stade de Bordeaux (September 17), Ireland at Stade de France in Saint-Denis (September 23) and the top qualifier from the Asia/Pacific region in Marseille (October 1) in the pool stages.
The tournament kicks off on Friday, September 8 and runs until Saturday, October 28 next year.
