Rugby World Cup 2015: Schedule, Pools, USA TV And Live Stream Info

The quest to lift the William Webb Ellis Cup begins on Friday at London's Twickenham Stadium, when host England take on Fiji in the 2015 Rugby World Cup. In the eighth edition of the quadrennial event, 20 countries will compete, with New Zealand aiming to become the first three-time winners and the first team to retain the trophy.

The All Blacks have long been the world’s most famous rugby team and they will start as strong favorites to prevail over the next six weeks. Yet they have never previously won the competition on foreign soil, having previously triumphed in dramatic fashion at home four years ago as well as when jointly hosting the first ever World Cup with Australia in 1987.

There is particular motivation to triumph for All Blacks fly-half Dan Carter. The 33-year-old is the leading points scorer in the history of international rugby, and will be retiring from international competition after the tournament. Carter has unfinished business after suffering a tournament-ending injury in the early stages of the 2011 World Cup.

“This is the last time that I'll put on the All Black jersey,” Carter told reporters. “I just want to make the most of it. “I’ll do whatever I can to help this All Blacks side go as far as possible.”

New Zealand will face plenty of competition, though. Neighbors Australia will be aiming to win their own third title, and have picked up form of late. Yet the Wallabies face an unenviable task just to make it through to the knockout stage, with hosts England and Wales, who will also host some games in Cardiff, also in their pool.

The 20 teams are split into four pools of five teams, and will play each other in a round-robin format with only the top two in each progressing to the quarterfinals. Given that both Wales and Australia made the semifinals four years ago and both of them, along with hosts England, have ambitions to go a long way this time around, one of the tournament’s big hitters will be making an early exit.

Other contenders for the title should have less nervy progress to the last eight. Two-time winners South Africa are clear favorites in Pool B against Scotland, Samoa, Japan and the United States. Mike Tolkin’s U.S. Eagles, though, are better prepared than ever before and will be aiming to get more than a solitary win in the tournament for the first time.

In Pool C, New Zealand’s main competition will come from an Argentina side that recently scored a hugely impressive victory in South Africa. Finally, in Pool D, the battle promises to be intense between Ireland and France for the top spot, with both teams knowing that a runners-up place will more than likely mean a meeting with New Zealand in the quarterfinals.

Scroll below for the lineup of the pools, as well as the full schedule and where to watch the Rugby World Cup in the United States.

Pool A
Australia
England
Wales
Fiji
Uruguay

Pool B
South Africa
Samoa
Japan
Scotland
USA

Pool C
New Zealand
Argentina
Tonga
Georgia
Namibia

Pool D
France
Ireland
Italy
Canada
Romania

Schedule (all times EDT, PPV = Pay Per View)
Friday, Sep. 18
England vs. Fiji -- Twickenham, London, 3 p.m. (Universal Sports Network, PPV)

Saturday, Sep. 19
Tonga vs. Georgia -- Kingsholm, Gloucester, 7 a.m. (PPV)
Ireland vs. Canada -- Principality Stadium, Cardiff, 9:30 a.m. (PPV)
South Africa vs. Japan -- at Brighton Community Stadium Brighton, 11:45 a.m. (PPV)
France vs. Italy -- Twickenham, London, 3 p.m. (PPV)

Sunday, Sep. 20
Samoa vs. USA -- Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton, 7 a.m. (Universal Sports Network, PPV)
Wales vs. Uruguay -- Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, 9:30 a.m. (PPV)
New Zealand vs. Argentina -- Wembley Stadium, London, 11:45 a.m. (PPV)

Wednesday, Sep. 22
Scotland vs. Japan -- Kingsholm, Gloucester, 9:30 a.m. (PPV)
Australia vs. Fiji -- Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, 11:45 a.m. (PPV)
France vs. Romania -- Olympic Stadium, London, 3 p.m. (PPV)

Thursday, Sep. 24
New Zealand vs. Namibia -- Olympic Stadium, London, 3 p.m. (PPV)

Friday, Sep. 25
Argentina vs. Georgia -- Kingsholm, Gloucester, 11:45 a.m. (PPV)

Saturday, Sep. 26
Italy vs. Canada -- Elland Road, Leeds, 9:30 a.m. (PPV)
South Africa vs. Samoa -- Villa Park, Birmingham, 11:45 a.m. (PPV)
England vs. Wales -- Twickenham, London, 3 p.m. (PPV)

Sunday, Sep. 27
Australia vs. Uruguay -- Villa Park, Birmingham, 7 a.m. (PPV)
Scotland vs. USA -- Elland Road, Leeds, 9:30 a.m. (Universal Sports Network, PPV)
Ireland vs. Romania -- Wembley Stadium, London, 11:45 a.m. (PPV)

Tuesday, Sep. 29
Tonga vs, Namibia -- Sandy Park, Exeter, 11:45 a.m. (PPV)

Thursday, Oct. 1
Wales vs. Fiji -- Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, 11:45 a.m. (PPV)
France vs. Canada -- Stadium MK, Milton Keynes, 3 p.m. (PPV)

Friday, Oct. 2
New Zealand vs. Georgia -- Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, 3 p.m. (PPV)

Saturday, Oct. 3
Samoa vs. Japan -- Stadium MK, Milton Keynes, 9:30 a.m. (PPV)
South Africa vs. Scotland -- St James’ Park, Newcastle, 11:45 a.m. (PPV)
England vs. Australia -- Twickenham, London, 3 p.m. (PPV)

Sunday, Oct. 4
Argentina vs. Tonga -- Leicester City stadium Leicester, 9:30 a.m. (PPV)
Ireland vs. Italy -- Olympic Stadium, London, 11:45 a.m. (PPV)

Tuesday, Oct. 6
Canada vs. Romania -- Leicester City Stadium, 11:45 a.m. (PPV)
Fiji vs. Uruguay -- Stadium MK, Milton Keynes, 3 p.m. (PPV)

Wednesday, Oct. 7
South Africa vs. USA -- Olympic Stadium, London, 11:45 a.m. (Universal Sports Network, PPV)
Namibia vs. Georgia -- Sandy Park, Exeter, 3 p.m. (PPV)

Friday, Oct. 9
New Zealand vs. Tonga -- St James’ Park, Newcastle, 3 p.m. (PPV)

Saturday, Oct. 10
Samoa vs. Scotland -- St James’ Park, Newcastle, 9:30 a.m. (PPV)
Australia vs. Wales -- Twickenham, London, 11:45 a.m. (PPV)
England vs. Uruguay -- Manchester City Stadium, Manchester, 3 p.m. (PPV)

Sunday, Oct. 11
Argentina vs. Namibia -- Leicester City Stadium, Leicester, 7 a.m. (PPV)
Italy vs. Romania -- Sandy Park, Exeter, 9:30 a.m. (PPV)
France vs. Ireland -- Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, 11:45 a.m. (PPV)
USA vs. Japan -- Kingsholm, Gloucester, 3 p.m. (Universal Sports Network)

Saturday, Oct. 17
Quarterfinal 1: Winners Pool B vs. Runner-up Pool A -- Twickenham, London, 11 a.m. (PPV)
Quarterfinal 2: Winner Pool C vs. Runner-up Pool D -- Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, 3 p.m. (PPV)

Sunday, Oct. 18
Quarterfinal 3: Winner Pool D vs. Runner-up Pool C -- Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, 8 a.m. (PPV)
Quarterfinal 4: Winner Pool A vs. Runner-up Pool B -- Twickenham, London, 11 a.m. (PPV)

Saturday, Oct. 24
Semifinal 1: Winner Quarterfinal 1 vs. Quarterfinal 2 -- Twickenham, London, 11 a.m. (NBC, Universal Sports Network, PPV)

Sunday, Oct. 25
Semifinal 2: Winner Quarterfinal 3 vs. Winner Quarterfinal 4 -- Twickenham, London, 11 a.m. (Universal Sports Network, PPV)

Friday, Oct. 30
Third place playoff: Loser Semifinal 1 vs. Loser Semifinal 2 -- Olympic Stadium, London, 3 p.m. (Universal Sports Network, PPV)

Saturday, Oct. 31
Final: Winner Semifinal 1 vs. Winner Semifinal 2 -- Twickenham, London, 11 a.m. (NBC, Universal Sports Network, PPV)

TV and live stream info All 48 matches are available for live streaming for a price of $199.99, with individual matches starting at $27.95. The seven matches screened on Universal Sports Network will live streamed on UniversalSports.com, with the two shown on NBC live streamed at NBC Sports Live Extra. All matches will also be available on pay-per view through your TV provider.