England face Argentina in World Cup opener

(GETTY IMAGES)

England will face Argentina in their opening 2001 Rugby World Cup match.

The opening weekend of the World Cup, being held in New Zealand, will also see Wales meet reigning champions South Africa.

Hosts New Zealand play Tonga at Eden Park in Auckland for the opening match of the tournament, while Scotland's first match will be against the play-off winner in Invercargill and Ireland play the second Americas qualifier.

England will meet Scotland in the countries final pool match in what could be a decider to see who progresses to the knock-out phase.

The semi-finals, bronze medal match and final will be played at Eden Park.

"Our philosophy all along has been a 'Stadium of Four Million'. We believe today's announcement takes us further towards the fulfilment of that promise," said Rugby New Zealand (RNZ) 2011 chief executive Martin Snedden.

"Our collective view is that the match schedule represents the best balance between ensuring a successful tournament in New Zealand while also recognising its global standing."