Who is hosting Rugby World Cup 2023? France is hosting the Rugby World Cup 2023. Where is the Rugby World Cup 2023 being held? Originally, the tournament was scheduled to last the usual six weeks, but in February 2021 World Rugby added a week to provide additional rest days for player welfare. This means that teams will have a minimum of five days’ rest for all matches. It will be the third time France has hosted the Rugby World Cup, having previously done so in 2007 and co-hosted the 1991 Rugby World Cup with England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It precedes the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and will take place less than a year before the Olympics opening ceremony. The defending champions are South Africa, who defeated England in the 2019 Rugby World Cup Final. Chile will make their first appearance and Portugal will return for their second appearance, 16 years after their first appearance in 2007, also held in France. World Rugby requested that any members wishing to host the 2023 event were to submit an expression of interest by June 2015. A total of six unions responded. The Italian Rugby Federation were among the members interested, but withdrew from their bid on 28 September 2016. The Argentine Rugby Union and USA Rugby both expressed their interest in hosting the event but ultimately decided against a formal bid. Three bids were officially submitted to World Rugby by the June 2017 deadline. On 15 November 2017, the French Rugby Federation bid was chosen ahead of bids by the South African Rugby Union and the Irish Rugby Football Union. France had launched its bid on 9 February 2017.