The Rugby World Cup New Zealand is hotly anticipated.

There are so many reasons why we can't wait for it to unfold. And in this guide, we're going to tell you just some of the reasons you should get excited too.

Rugby World Cup New Zealand: postponed but not forgotten

The Rugby World Cup New Zealand was supposed to take place in 2021. Rugby fans across the globe were devastated when it got postponed last year. However, last year's loss is this year's gain. Now the official title is Rugby World Cup New Zealand 2021, Playing in 2022.

Action takes place from Saturday, 8 October until Saturday, 12 November

We love a sporting event that we can really sink our teeth into. And that's so easy to do when there are several weeks of action in a row. It means you can really settle into it. That's ever so easy with the Rugby World Cup New Zealand this year.

Women get a more equal playing field this time around

World Rugby has made a conscious decision to try to give female teams a more level playing field. In all of its marketing for this Rugby World Cup, it's dropped women from the title for the first time. The focus should be on the rugby, not on the gender, after all.

The ruling body has also ditched the knockout stage play offs in favor of quarter finals. Plus, like with the men's World Cup, there will be a minimum of five days between matches for every single team.

Rugby World Cup New Zealand is the first in the southern hemisphere

When the bidding process began for the 2021 Rugby World Cup, it was clear it was going to be held in the southern hemisphere as the only countries with their hat in the ring were New Zealand and Australia.

However, New Zealand was chosen to have the honor of hosting down under for the first time.

A dozen of the world's best teams are taking part

You can look forward to action from Australia, Fiji, Scotland, Italy, Japan, South Africa, England, New Zealand, USA, Canada, France and Wales.

The real contest looks to be between New Zealand and England

England and New Zealand are current favorites in the Rugby World Cup New Zealand, with England said to have the edge. Having said that, New Zealand are defending champs. And if they win, they will have six wins under their belt, making them the most decorated country in the competition.

As we know all too well, anything can happen in rugby. So maybe one of the other 10 will have the edge when all is said and done. If you want to place a bet on the outright winner, you can already do it! Just head to bet365 (and use this bonus code if you're a new player) and place your bets.

Three different stadiums in two cities will host the matches

This year's Rugby World Cup is playing out in both Auckland and Whangarei. The stadiums are Semenoff, Waitakere and the 60,000 capacity Eden Park.

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