The 2007 World Cup will be hosted by France, with matches played in Edinburgh and Cardiff as well.

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World Cup Tournament Fixtures

The 2007 Rugby World Cup will be the sixth Rugby World Cup, for the quadrennial world championship. It will be hosted by France during September and October of 2007. France won the right to host the event in 2003, beating a bid from England. more...

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Over 90 nations will participate in the regional qualifying competitions that started in 2004. The eight quarter-finalists from the 2003 event were automatically qualified.

This World Cup will have 20 nations contesting 48 matches over 44 days. Forty-three matches will be spread between ten French cities, with three matches to be held in Cardiff, Wales and two matches in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Bids

England announced in September of 2001 that they would be launching a solo bid to host the tournament, without the help of the other home unions. Both the 1991 and 1999 World Cups were hosted throughout the home nations, with England and Wales being the main host respectively. A spokesman for the Rugby Football Union (RFU) said \"We are quite happy to stage it on our own. We have all the resources to do a very good job.\" England, with France, both applied to be solo hosts of the tournament. Tender document for the 2007 bidding process was due out on October 31, 2001.

There was some confusion surrounding the bids for the tournament when both England and France were invited to re-submit their plans. The IRB stated that both countries must comply with tender document terms in one bid, but in their second option, could propose alternatives ideas. The IRB stated that \"England`s original proposal contained three plans for hosting the tournament with a traditional, new and hybrid format all on offer...The French bid, while complying with the tender document in all other respects, fell outside one of the `windows` in which the IRB wanted to stage an event\". As a result the IRB advised both countries to resubmit the bids, one which must comply with tender document terms, and the other which can propse alternative schemes. The IRB wished the tournament to run from October to November, or June to July, whereas France's proposal was scheduled from September to October. One of Englands bids reduced the tournament from 20 nations (run alongside a 32-team 'World Nations Cup') to 16, and another altered the structure of the qualifying competition, but one option complied with all tender proposals. With the announcement in November, England and France were given until January 15 to re-submit their bids.

It was announced in April that France beat England to hosting the tournament. The IRB council voted 18-3 in favour of France. In total there were 21 votes at the meeting; England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand all having two; and the International Amateur Rugby Federation, Canada, Argentina, Japan and Italy all having one. The tournament structure was moved to the proposed September-October format. The council's view was that the structure should remain as it was. It was also announced that 10 French cities would be hosting games, with the final as Stade de France, and with games being played in Wales and Scotland. French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin said that \"This decision illustrates the qualities of our country and its capacity to host major sporting events...This World Cup will be the opportunity to showcase the regions of France where the wonderful sport of rugby is deeply rooted.\"