New Zealand will dive straight into the deep end when they open their bid for a fourth Rugby World Cup title against hosts France in the opening game of the 2023 tournament, according to the fixture schedule revealed Friday.

The All Blacks, champions in 1987, 2011 and 2015, face Les Bleus at the Stade de France in Paris on 8 September, the first day of the gruelling seven-week tournament.

The final will be at the Stade de France on 28 October.

New Zealand and France are in Pool A along with Six Nations whipping boys Italy and two qualifiers - one from the Americas and one from Africa - and are expected to comfortably make the quarter-finals.

The winner of the group will face the runner-up of Pool B, a tough section which features defending champions South Africa, Ireland and Scotland.

France and the All Blacks have met eight times at the World Cup.

In 2011, New Zealand won their pool clash 37-17 before edging the final in Auckland 8-7.

The French can boast two wins over the triple world champions at the tournament - 43-31 in the 1999 semi-finals and 20-18 in the last eight in 2007.

Both games are regarded as modern classics.

"France v New Zealand, I've been dreaming of it since I started working on the World Cup. The best possible match, we'll have it on the first day. It will allow us to start the competition, to provide a benchmark of attractiveness," Claude Atcher, director general of the organising committee, told AFP.

"It's a very special match, in a very special context. No room for error.

"Without insulting our Italian cousins, it will be difficult for Italy to challenge these two teams for second place in the pool."

South Africa start their defence against Scotland on 10 September at Marseille's Stade Velodrome.

The team of Cheslin Kolbe and Siya Kolisi face Ireland on 23 September at the Stade de France.

Ireland and Scotland meet also in Paris on October 7.

England, the 2003 world champions, begin their Pool D campaign against Argentina in Marseille on 9 September, the second day of the tournament.

Japan, also in Pool D, start in Toulouse the following day against an America zone qualifier.

Pool C sees Wales and Australia as favourites to progress but they will be wary of the challenge of Fiji who they meet respectively on 10 September in Bordeaux and 17 September in Saint-Etienne.

In total, the 2023 World Cup features 48 matches and nine host cities - Paris, Marseille, Nice, Lille, Toulouse, Lyon, Bordeaux, Saint-Etienne and Nantes.

"Each city hosts at least one of the teams which qualified for the quarter-finals in Japan in 2019," said Atcher.

Match schedule for the 2023 Rugby World Cup to be staged in France which was released on Friday:

Pool A

New Zealand, France, Italy, America 1 zone qualifier, Africa 1 zone qualifier:

Sept 8: Stade de France - France v New Zealand

Sept 9: Saint-Etienne - Italy v Africa 1

Sept 14: Lille - France v America 1

Sept 15: Toulouse - New Zealand v Africa 1

Sept 20: Nice - Italy v America 1

Sept 21: Marseille - France v Africa 1

Sept 27: Lyon - America 1 v Africa 1

Sept 29: Lyon - New Zealand v Italy

Oct 05: Lyon - New Zealand v America 1

Oct 06: Lyon - France v Italy

Pool B

South Africa, Ireland, Scotland, Asia/Pacific 1 zone qualifier, Europe 2 zone qualifier

Sept 9: Bordeaux - Ireland v Europe 2

Sept 10: Marseille - South Africa v Scotland

Sept 16: Nantes - Ireland v Asia/Pacific 1

Sept 17: Bordeaux - South Africa v Europe 2

Sept 23: Stade de France - South Africa v Ireland

Sept 24: Nice - Scotland v Asia/Pacific 1

Sept 30: Lille - Scotland v Europe 2

Oct 01: Marseille - South Africa v Asia/Pacific 1

Oct 07: Stade de France - Ireland v Scotland

Oct 08: Lille - Asia/Pacific 1 v Europe 2

Pool C

Wales, Australia, Fiji, Europe 1 zone qualifier, Winner final qualifying round

Sept 09: Saint-Denis - Australia - Europe 1

Sept 10: Bordeaux - Wales v Fiji

Sept 16: Nice - Wales v Winner final qualifying round

Sept 17: Saint-Etienne - Australia v Fiji

Sept 23: Toulouse - Europe 1 v Winner final qualifying round

Sept 24: Lyon - Wales v Australia

Sept 30: Bordeaux - Fiji v Europe 1

Oct 01: Saint-Etienne - Australia v - Winner final qualifying round

Oct 07: Nantes - Wales v Europe 1

Oct 08: Toulouse - Fiji v Winner final qualifying round

Pool D

England, Japan, Argentina, Oceania zone 1 qualifier, America zone 2 qualifier

Sept 09: Marseille - England v Argentina

Sept 10: Toulouse - Japan v America 2

Sept 16: Bordeaux - Oceania 1 v America 2

Sept 17: Nice - England v Japan

Sept 22: Saint-Etienne - Argentina v Oceania 1

Sept 23: Lille - England v America 2

Sept 28: Toulouse - Japan v Oceania 1

Sept 30: Nantes - Argentina v America 2

Oct 07: Lille - England v Oceania 1

Oct 08: Nantes - Japan v Argentina

Quarter-finals

Oct 14: Marseille - Pool C winner v Pool D runner-up

Oct 14: Stade de France - Pool B winner v Pool A runner-up

Oct 15: Marseille - Pool D v Pool C runner-up

Oct 15: Stade de France - Pool A winner v Pool B runner-up

Semi-finals

Oct 20: Stade de France - Winner QF 1 v Winner QF 2

Oct 21: Stade de France - Winner QF 3 v Winner QF 4

3rd place play-off

Oct 27: Stade de France

Final

Oct 28: Stade de France

Source: News24