Rugby World Cup live stream: How to watch Japan vs Russia online and on TV
The tournament kicks off in earnest on Friday with the opening ceremony
The 2019 Rugby World Cup begins today.
The tournament begins in Tokyo with hosts Japan taking on Russia in the opening game of Group A.
That comes after the opening ceremony, however, which promises to be a celebratory affair as ever and will surely come with one or two surprises too.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of the big kick-off:
When does the tournament start?
The traditional tournament curtain-raiser is the opening ceremony, which is set to begin at about 10.30am on Friday 20 September.
The opening match follows the opening ceremony, with hosts Japan opening the tournament against Russia.
The match will start at 11:45 BST.
Where can I watch in the UK?
You can watch each game on ITV, while Indy Sport will have you covered with live blogs if you're on the move or at your desk. You can also stream the game on mobile devices and on your computer via the ITV website.
When will England begin their pursuit of the Webb Ellis trophy?
England kick off their Pool C fixtures against Tonga.
The game will take place on September 22 at 11:15 BST.
Who is playing and what are the pools?
There are 20 teams competing in Japan and they are divided into four pools, with the top two progressing to the quarter-finals.
Pool A: Ireland, Scotland, Japan, Russia, Samoa
Pool B: New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, Namibia, Canada
Pool C: England, France, Argentina, United States, Tonga
Pool D: Australia, Wales, Georgia, Fiji, Uruguay
The favourites
New Zealand 5/4
South Africa 4/1
England 4/1
Ireland 9/1
Wales 9/1
Australia 12/1
France 33/1
Argentina 40/1
Scotland 50/1
Japan 150/1
Latest updates
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With the tournament under way and such a big day of action to come tomorrow, it's high time for The Independent's team of rugby writers to make some Rugby World Cup predictions.
Who will win? Who are the dark horses? Who has the potential to be a breakout star?
And a reminder that we produced a definitive, inarguable ranking of the top 100 Rugby World Cup players in history, that you cannot possible query or have even a single complaint about...
Unsurprisingly, checking in at number one and top of the World Cup tree was Richie McCaw, who lifted the Webb Ellis Cup twice.
After topping our list, McCaw exclusively guided Jack de Menezes through his quite magnificent playing career, including those two World Cup wins:
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