Rugby World Cup 2023: How To Watch Springbok Games and the Opening Ceremony

• The 2023 edition of the Rugby World Cup kicks off in France with the hosts taking on New Zealand
• DStv and SABC have reached an agreement regarding the broadcasting of the games in South Africa
• The Springboks will take on Scotland in their opening fixture as they look to defend their 2019 title

France will host the 2023 Rugby World Cup, and excitement is building for the global tournament.

20 teams will compete over the next month and a half for the coveted William Webb Ellis trophy.

With the tournament set to kick off today (September 8), Sports Brief looks at what you can expect regarding the first game and opening ceremony, and when the defending champions will be in action.

An opening ceremony with a difference

The opening ceremony for the tournament will be held at the Stade de France, and organisers have promised that it will be much different from traditional opening ceremonies.

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As noted by the Rugby World Cup’s official site, the ceremony will take viewers back to the roots of French culture.

Performers who embody this ideal will entertain the expected crowd of 80,000 and the guests of honour, who come from the worlds of film, music, dance, urban culture, gastronomy, and craftsmanship.

The opening ceremony will be broadcast on DStv, Channel 201, from 8pm CAT.

France welcome the All Blacks

The tournament's first game takes place after the opening ceremony and will see the host nation take on New Zealand.

The All Blacks have dropped to fourth in the world rankings, while the French are third.

When the Boks will be in action

South Africa will kick off their title defence when they take on Scotland on Sunday, September 10.

The Boks are in Group B with Ireland, Scotland, Romania, and Tonga. The top two teams in the group will qualify for the tournament’s quarter-finals.

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The Springbok group stage games are as follows:

How you can watch the games

Want to catch all the action in South Africa? You can, thanks to Multichoice and the SABC. As noted by Business Tech, Multichoice agreed to sub-license the broadcast rights.

The public broadcaster will now show 16 games during the seven-week tournament. This includes the opening ceremony, opening match, and all Springbok games, two quarter-final matches, and one semi-final.

SABC will also show the bronze final, the final, and the closing ceremony of the tournament.

Official rankings ahead of Rugby World Cup

The Springboks look to defend their Rugby World Cup title in France but will face stiff competition. South Africa go into the tournament as one of the favourites but aren't the number one ranked side.

With the World Cup tournament starting on September 8 as Les Bleus take on the All Blacks, Sports Brief looks at the top five ranked teams before France 2023 and their ranking at the 2019 edition.