All teams will have at least five days between matches to rest and coaches will also have two more players in their extended squad at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
To accommodate the additional rest requirement, World Rugby has extended pool phase by a week, kicking off on 8 September and conclude with the final on 28 October.
The changes are part of a player welfare package introduced by World Rugby to give players ample rest.
The package also features increased squad sizes, to 33 players from 31, and minimum travel volume and time for teams.
This is the first time in modern Rugby World Cup history that no team will have a rest period of less than five days, optimising recovery and preparation, a World Rugby statement said.
“The decision will enable World Rugby and unions to build on best-ever player welfare outcomes at Rugby World Cup 2019. In Japan, injury replacements per match reduced from 2.08 per match in 2015 to 1.13 in 2019, while there was a 28 per cent overall concussion incidence decrease compared to the 2018 elite competition average and a 37 per cent reduction in tackle concussion incidence compared to the 2018 elite competition average, affirming World Rugby’s ongoing injury-prevention commitment.”
France will host the 2023 RWC, the 10th edition of the world rugby extravaganza. The Flying Fijians are grouped in Pool C, seeded third behind Wales and Australia.
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