{"id":289355,"date":"2023-09-10T18:34:06","date_gmt":"2023-09-10T18:34:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/?p=289355"},"modified":"2023-09-10T18:34:06","modified_gmt":"2023-09-10T18:34:06","slug":"world-rugby-rankings-which-team-is-top-ahead-of-world-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/rugby-union\/world-rugby-rankings-which-team-is-top-ahead-of-world-cup\/","title":{"rendered":"World Rugby rankings: Which team is top ahead of World Cup?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/static-assets\/images\/newsletter\/sport\/sport-135x135.png\" class=\"i-amphtml-layout-responsive i-amphtml-layout-size-defined\" i-amphtml-layout=\"responsive\"><\/p>\n<h3>Sign up to our free sport newsletter for all the latest news on everything from cycling to boxing<\/h3>\n<h3>Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news<\/h3>\n<h2>Thanks for signing up to the<br \/> Sport email<\/h2>\n<p>The Rugby World Cup returns for perhaps the most competitive edition yet, with 20 teams vying for glory in France.<\/p>\n<p>The tournament, which runs from 8 September to 30 October, takes place in nine French cities.<\/p>\n<p>Two decades on from England\u2019s triumph in 2003, both the host and Ireland will harbour real hope of adding a second northern hemisphere nation\u2019s name to the Webb Ellis Cup.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>FOLLOW LIVE &#8211; <\/strong><strong>Wales v Fiji: Rugby World Cup 2023 latest build-up, team news and updates<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The two are part of a lead quartet that have distanced themselves at the top of the World Rugby rankings ahead of the tournament.<\/p>\n<p>England, Wales and Australia, meanwhile, have fallen down after struggling to hit form so far in 2023. <em>Get all the latest <\/em><em>Rugby World Cup odds here<\/em><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Recommended<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2021\/06\/24\/17\/36c40a0a8a435fc8a39130609727b07eY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNjI0NjM2Nzk2-2.48191215.jpg\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2023\/08\/09\/17\/GettyImages-1230121936.jpg\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2022\/03\/19\/18\/SEI94402088.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>World Rugby men\u2019s rankings<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>(Teams in bold competing at 2023 World Cup)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Ireland<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>2. South Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>3. France<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>4. New Zealand<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>5. Scotland<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>6. Argentina<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>7. Fiji<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>8. England<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>9. Australia<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>10. Wales<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>11. Georgia<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>12. Samoa<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>13. Italy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>14. Japan<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>15. Tonga<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>16. Portugal<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>17. Uruguay<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>18. USA<\/p>\n<p><strong>19. Romania<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>20. Spain<\/p>\n<p><strong>21. Namibia<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>22. Chile<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>23. Canada<\/p>\n<p>24. Hong Kong <\/p>\n<p>25. Russia<\/p>\n<p>26. Brazil<\/p>\n<p>27. Netherlands<\/p>\n<p>28. Switzerland<\/p>\n<p>29. Belgium<\/p>\n<p>30. South Korea<\/p>\n<p><em>The full World Rugby rankings <\/em><em>can be found here<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Rugby World Cup 2023 pools<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Pool A: <\/strong>France (ranking 3), New Zealand (4), Italy (13), Uruguay (17), Namibia (21).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pool B:<\/strong> Ireland (1),South Africa (2),Scotland (5), Tonga (15), Romania (19).<\/p>\n<h3>Recommended<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2023\/09\/10\/15\/37ae5da69d37266f16be1f982077489cY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNjk0NDQwNjIy-2.73668382.jpg\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2023\/09\/10\/14\/c3cee33046ce9082fc3a75b441059e73Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNjk0NDM5Mjgy-2.73678465.jpg\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2023\/08\/29\/10\/RWC_Rugby_Head_Injuries_26720.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>Pool C: <\/strong>Fiji (7), Australia (9), Wales (10), Georgia (11), Portugal (16).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pool D: <\/strong>Argentina (6), England (8), Samoa (12), Japan (14), Chile (22).<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/sport\/rugby\/rugby-union\/world-cup-2023-rankings-b2408800.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sign up to our free sport newsletter for all the latest news on everything from cycling to boxing Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news Thanks for signing up to the Sport email The Rugby World Cup returns for perhaps the most competitive edition yet, with 20 teams vying for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":289354,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>World Rugby rankings: Which team is top ahead of World Cup? 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