RWC Countdown

Rugby World Cup countdown: 50 days to go

Over 400,000 fans from around the world are expected to descend on Japan during the tournament, beginning in late September and going through to mid November.

It is the first World Cup to be held outside of rugby's traditional heartlands.

Ever since the venue of the final was changed in 2015 after the scrapping of a proposed new national stadium, planning for the World Cup has been mostly smooth.

World Cup venues - Kamaishi, Osaka and Kumagaya - are hosting Japan warm-up matches, which should give organisers a chance to fine-tune their final preparations.