Rugby World Cup 2023: 10 Things you need to do before watching

The Rugby World Cup 2023 tournament starts on Friday 8th September and runs through to Saturday 28th October, with the final game scheduled on that day at 8pm London time. Not visiting the host nation France to watch the fun? Fear not. If you will be viewing the action at home, we’ve summarised all the important things you need to do before watching with family and friends.

Learn the basics for impressive pre-match commentary purposes!
Find out which teams are playing.
Know in advance which dates the England team are playing.
Buy the t-shirt!
Research which channel will show the games.
Find out which bars and pubs will be showing the matches.
Set yourself an entertainment budget!
Anticipate distractions and combat appropriately!
Stock up on snacks – big match recipes.
Learn the lyrics to Britain’s national anthem.

1) Learn the basics for impressive
pre-match commentary purposes!

Here are a few facts to get you started:

2) Find out which teams are playing.

Qualifying teams:

3) Know in advance which dates
the England team are playing.

Make sure you block out the entire day on the household calendar for pre-match build up and post-match deliberation and celebration (or commiseration)!

Saturday 9^th September	20:00 (UK time)	England v Argentina
Sunday 17^th September	20:00 (UK time)	England v Japan
Saturday 23^rd September	16:45 (UK time)	England v Chile
Saturday 7^th October	16:45 (UK time)	England v Samoa

The rest of the tournament will depend on the outcomes of each team pool. England are in Pool D:

Saturday 14^th October	16:00 (UK time)	Winner Pool C v Runner-Up Pool D (Quarter Final 1)
Sunday 15^th October	16:00 (UK time)	Winner Pool D v Runner-Up Pool C (Quarter Final 3)
Friday 20^th October	20:00 (UK time)	Winner Quarter Final 1 v Winner Quarter Final 2 (Semi-Final 1)
Saturday 21^st October	20:00 (UK time)	Winner Quarter Final 3 v Winner Quarter Final 4 (Semi-Final 2)
Friday 27^th October	20:00 (UK time)	Runner-Up Semi-Final 1 v Runner-Up Semi-Final 2 (Bronze Final)
Saturday 28^th October	20:00 (UK time)	Winner Semi-Final 1 v Winner Semi-Final 2 (Final)

4) Buy the t-shirt!

Official RWC 2023 Merchandise can be found here. If it is too pricey for your budget, why not dress in red, white, and blue to show your support?

5) Research which channel will show the games.

ITV will be the exclusive Rugby World Cup UK broadcaster in 2023. Following the success of ITV’s production and broadcast of the Rugby World Cup in 2019, the most watched ever, all 48 games for this year’s tournament will be shown exclusively to UK viewers on its channels live and free-to-air.

6) Find out which bars and pubs will be showing the matches.

If you want to soak up an atmosphere and share the experience with some friendly locals, it will be worth asking around to see which pubs, bars and community spaces will be airing the games. This will ensure you aren’t disappointed on the day.

7) Set yourself an entertainment budget!

Whether you’re planning to watch the games with friends at home or down the pub, it’s always worth having an idea of how much you will spend – we know how easy it is to get carried away, particularly after a win!

According to the latest figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) (as of April 2023) the average pint of draught lager in a UK currently stands at £4.50. Obviously, this price varies greatly depending on where you live and where you are drinking. For example, the price of an average London pint is going to be much higher than a quiet country pub. In fact, the average cost of a London pint is predicted to reach £9.99 by 2025! With all this in mind, you may decide to watch the game with friends at home with a six pack from the local supermarket rather than in your local pub! Don’t forget to factor in the cost of snacks and nibbles too!

8) Anticipate distractions and combat them appropriately!

It goes without saying that you’ll be turning your phone to silent, asking unwanted visitors to pick another day to ‘pop in’, and generally clearing your calendar for the games you want to enjoy. However, you may not have considered your viewing set up if you are planning to watch at home.

Making sure you and your guests are comfortable and can see the television screen and hear the commentary clearly is especially important! Position your TV to avoid annoying sun glare and brightness for ultimate viewing pleasure. If it is difficult to move things around, you may need to consider a versatile window dressing such as window shutters. The louvred panels in the shutter allow you to angle or block the light as much or as little as you need so, you’ll be able to avoid any glare on your screen without losing the light.

9) Stock up on snacks

Snacks are important for maintaining energy levels – which you’ll need for all the cheering, commentating, and celebrating! Better still, If you are planning on having a large gathering for each game it might be worth perfecting some big match recipes to impress your guests with!

10) Learn the lyrics to Britain’s national anthem

Show pride for our country by singing along loudly and confidently with the England players to ‘God Save the King’ before the match starts. It’s a great way to show support, unity, and get into a winning mentality.

Come on England!

30th June 2023