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Revealed: The full draw for the 2023 Rugby World Cup pool stages

South Africa won the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. (Getty)

The draw for the pool stages of the 2023 Rugby World Cup took place this morning at Palais Brongniart in Paris, with defending champions South Africa drawn in Pool B against Ireland and Scotland. As with the last five World Cups, the 2023 tournament will comprise of 20 nations divided into four pools, with five teams in each pool.

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The draw included 12 teams already qualified for the tournament along with eight places yet to be decided through the  global qualification process. An explainer of the eight teams yet to qualify, and the qualifying process, can be found here.

In Pool A, hosts France will take on New Zealand and Italy along with the Americas 1 and Africa 1 teams yet to qualify.

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    In Pool B, reigning champions South Africa will play Ireland and Scotland, who have been drawn together for the second World Cup running, along with the yet to be decided Asia Pacific 1 and Europe 2 teams.

    Pool C sees Wales joined by familiar World Cup foes in Australia and Fiji, as well as the Europe 1 and the Final Qualifier Winner teams.

    In Pool D last year’s beaten World Cup finalists England have been drawn against Japan, Argentina, Oceania 1 and Americas 2.

    Pool A
    New Zealand
    France
    Italy
    Americas 1
    Africa 1

    Pool B
    South Africa
    Ireland
    Scotland
    Asia Pacific 1
    Europe 2

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    Pool C
    Wales
    Australia
    Fiji
    Europe 1
    Final Qualifier Winner

    Pool D
    England
    Japan
    Argentina
    Oceania 1
    Americas 2

    More to follow…

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    H
    Head high tackle 1 hour ago
    Can Samoa and Tonga ever become contenders when their top talent is skimmed?

    I think you have gone in the wrong direction here Nick. I think you need to delve down into the rules etc around Moana Pacifica’s selection policies and then you need to understand that a lot of KIWI BORN rugby players have PI heritage. It appears ok for the 4 home nations to pillage NZ born players constantly without retribution but you want to question whether NZ BORN players should be eligible for NZ? Seems a real agenda in there.

    Go back and look at the actual Aims and agenda for MP becoming a entity and you see lots of things enshrined in policy that you arnt mentioning here. EG there is an allowance for a percentage of MP to be NZ eligible. This was done so MP could actually become competitive. Lets be real. If it wasnt this way then MP would not be competitive.

    There also seems to be some sort of claim ( mainly from the NH ) that NZ is “cashing in” on MP, which , quite frankly is a major error. Are you aware of how much MP costs NZR Financially?

    39 NZ born rugby players played at the last world cup for Samoa or Tonga. PLUS plenty for Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales.

    Taumoefolau is a BORN AND BRED NZer. However I very strongly doubt he will be an AB, but who do you believe he should be allowed to play for? Levi Aumua is ALSO a born and bred Kiwi.

    Aumua was eligible to represent Samoa and Fiji for the Pacific Nations Cup in July that year but ended up playing for neither. He IS eligible for his nation of Birth too Nick

    He is a Kiwi. Are you saying an NZ born, raised Kiwi cant play for NZ now?

    Sorry Nick Kiwi born and bred actually qualify for NZ.

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