The IRB Rugby World Cup kicks off on Friday 9^th September in New Zealand, try this quiz to test your knowledge of the tournament.

1. How many teams will compete in these finals ?

2. In which stadium will both the opening match and the final be held ?

3. Which country is the defending World Champions ?

4. Which country will be making it's World Cup début in 2011 ?

5. Which provide the opposition in the opening matches for [a] England, [b] Ireland, [c] Scotland and [d] Wales ?

6. Which is the most Northerly venue for a match in this World Cup ?

7. And the most Southerly ?

8. How many players are each team allowed in their squads ?

9. Which country will provide the referee for the opening match ?

10. How many stadia were originally planned to be used in the tournament and why was this changed ?

11. Which SIX teams have head coaches that are from New Zealand ?

12. In the Pool phase of the competition, how many points will be awarded for a win ?

13. How many previous World Cups have there been ?

14. Which World Cup teams have the following nicknames, [a] All Blacks, [b] Pumas, [c] The Bears, [d] The Lelos and [e] The Cherry Blossoms ?

15. Which pool contains BOTH the African teams ?

16. Which team will be the last to play it's opening match ?

17. On what date will the final be played ?

18. Who did Japan beat in the Asian play-off to qualify for the finals ?

19. From the quarter finals onward what will happen if the scores are level at full time ?

20. How many teams will automatically qualify for the 2014 World cup ?

Find the ANSWERS HERE.