The Rugby World Cup will be touching all corners of Japan in the upcoming tournament in September.

GET RUGBY WORLD CUP TICKETS HERE!

The tournament kicks off the 20th, where the host nation Japan will face Russia in the Tokyo Stadium at the heart of the city. Tickets for the opener range from $500 to over $1000 for the opener. The next day, three games will kick off, including Argentina and France facing back at the Tokyo Stadium, sixth-ranked Australia will face ninth-ranked Fiji face at the Sapporo Dome. Tickets for that match are as low as $117. To finish the Saturday fixtures, top-ranked New Zealand will face fourth-ranked South Africa at the International Stadium in Yokohama. The lowest price of ticket for the New Zealand match is $609.

For the Sunday fixtures, Ireland will face Scotland, both ranked within the top 10, respectively. Tickets for that match are as low as $340 at the International Stadium in Yokohama.

September 26 is the first fixture for the United States. At the Kobe Misaki Stadium, the United States will face fifth-ranked England. In a friendly before the tournament, the U.S. faced Canada in Colorado this past weekend, where they beat the Canadians 47-19. Ben Landry and the squad dominated the second half. 

“We wanted to be one of the more physical teams in this tournament, and lead that into the World Cup,” Landry said, according to USArugby.org. “I think we brought that today.”

IN MEMORIAM: SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019 TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

The U.S. perhaps have the toughest group in the Rugby World Cup group play. They have to beat out England, France, Argentina and Tonga. Pool C contains just one team with one World Cup trophy, but is the most-balanced group out of the four groups.

Pool A obtains Ireland, Scotland, Japan, Russia and the Samoans. Pool B has the most World Cups in their group, with New Zealand and South Africa holding three and two titles, respectively. The final grouping, Pool D, has Australia, with two trophies under their belt. Wales, Georgia, Fiji and Uruguay are all part of that pool as well.

Here is the full schedule and list of games for the 2019 Rugby World Cup!

Rugby World Cup 2019 – Japan vs Russia
7:45 PM – Tokyo Stadium, Chofu, Tokyo, JP

SAT SEP 21
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Australia vs Fiji
1:45 PM – Sapporo Dome, Sapporo-shi, 01, JP

SAT SEP 21
Rugby World Cup 2019 – France vs Argentina
4:15 PM – Tokyo Stadium, Chofu, Tokyo, JP

SAT SEP 21
Rugby World Cup 2019 – New Zealand vs South Africa
6:45 PM – International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Kanagawa, JP

SUN SEP 22
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Italy vs Namibia
2:15 PM – Higashiosaka Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Higashiosaka, Osaka, JP

SUN SEP 22
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Ireland vs Scotland
4:45 PM – International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Kanagawa, JP

SUN SEP 22
Rugby World Cup 2019 – England vs Tonga
7:15 PM – Sapporo Dome, Sapporo-shi, 01, JP

MON SEP 23
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Wales vs Georgia
7:15 PM – Toyota stadium, Toyota, Aichi, JP

TUE SEP 24
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Russia vs Samoa
7:15 PM – Kumagaya Rugby Stadium, Kumagaya, Saitama, JP

WED SEP 25
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Fiji vs Uruguay
2:15 PM – Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium, Kamaishi, Iwate, JP

THU SEP 26
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Italy vs Canada
4:45 PM – Hakatanomori Stadium, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, JP

THU SEP 26
Rugby World Cup 2019 – England vs USA
7:45 PM – Kobe Misaki Stadium, Kobe, Hyogo, JP

SAT SEP 28
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Argentina vs Tonga
1:45 PM – Higashiosaka Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Higashiosaka, Osaka, JP

SAT SEP 28
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Japan vs Ireland
4:15 PM – Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa, Fukuroi, Shizuoka, JP

SAT SEP 28
Rugby World Cup 2019 – South Africa vs Namibia
6:45 PM – Toyota stadium, Toyota, Aichi, JP

SUN SEP 29
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Georgia vs Uruguay
2:15 PM – Kumagaya Rugby Stadium, Kumagaya, Saitama, JP

SUN SEP 29
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Australia vs Wales
4:45 PM – Tokyo Stadium, Chofu, Tokyo, JP

MON SEP 30
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Scotland vs Samoa
7:15 PM – Kobe Misaki Stadium, Kobe, Hyogo, JP

WED OCT 2
Rugby World Cup 2019 – France vs USA
4:45 PM – Hakatanomori Stadium, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, JP

WED OCT 2
Rugby World Cup 2019 – New Zealand vs Canada
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Georgia vs Fiji
2:15 PM – Higashiosaka Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Higashiosaka, Osaka, JP

THU OCT 3
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Ireland vs Russia
7:15 PM – Kobe Misaki Stadium, Kobe, Hyogo, JP

FRI OCT 4
Rugby World Cup 2019 – South Africa vs Italy
6:45 PM – Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa, Fukuroi, Shizuoka, JP

SAT OCT 5
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Australia vs Uruguay
2:15 PM – Oita Stadium, Oita, Oita, JP

SAT OCT 5
Rugby World Cup 2019 – England vs Argentina
5:00 PM – Tokyo Stadium, Chofu, Tokyo, JP

SAT OCT 5
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Japan vs Samoa
7:30 PM – Toyota stadium, Toyota, Aichi, JP

SUN OCT 6
Rugby World Cup 2019 – New Zealand vs Namibia
1:45 PM – Tokyo Stadium, Chofu, Tokyo, JP

SUN OCT 6
Rugby World Cup 2019 – France vs Tonga
4:45 PM – Kumamoto Athletics Stadium, Kumamoto, Kumamoto, JP

TUE OCT 8
Rugby World Cup 2019 – South Africa vs Canada
7:15 PM – Kobe Misaki Stadium, Kobe, Hyogo, JP

WED OCT 9
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Argentina vs USA
1:45 PM – Kumagaya Rugby Stadium, Kumagaya, Saitama, JP

WED OCT 9
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Scotland vs Russia
4:15 PM – Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa, Fukuroi, Shizuoka, JP

WED OCT 9
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Wales vs Fiji
6:45 PM – Oita Stadium, Oita, Oita, JP

FRI OCT 11
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Australia vs Georgia
7:15 PM – Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa, Fukuroi, Shizuoka, JP

SAT OCT 12
Rugby World Cup 2019 – New Zealand vs Italy
1:45 PM – Toyota stadium, Toyota, Aichi, JP

SAT OCT 12
Rugby World Cup 2019 – England vs France
5:15 PM – International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Kanagawa, JP

SAT OCT 12
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Ireland vs Samoa
7:45 PM – Hakatanomori Stadium, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, JP

SUN OCT 13
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Namibia vs Canada
12:15 PM – Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium, Kamaishi, Iwate, JP

SUN OCT 13
Rugby World Cup 2019 – USA vs Tonga
2:45 PM – Higashiosaka Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Higashiosaka, Osaka, JP

SUN OCT 13
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Wales vs Uruguay
5:15 PM – Kumamoto Athletics Stadium, Kumamoto, Kumamoto, JP

SUN OCT 13
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Japan vs Scotland
7:45 PM – International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Kanagawa, JP

SAT OCT 19
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Quarter Final 1
4:15 PM – Oita Stadium, Oita, Oita, JP

SAT OCT 19
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Quarter Final 2
7:15 PM – Tokyo Stadium, Chofu, Tokyo, JP

SUN OCT 20
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Quarter Final 3
4:15 PM – Oita Stadium, Oita, Oita, JP

SUN OCT 20
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Quarter Final 4
7:15 PM – Tokyo Stadium, Chofu, Tokyo, JP

SAT OCT 26
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Semi Final 1
5:00 PM – International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Kanagawa, JP

SUN OCT 27
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Semi Final 2
6:00 PM – International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Kanagawa, JP

FRI NOV 1
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Bronze Final
6:00 PM – Tokyo Stadium, Chofu, Tokyo, JP

SAT NOV 2
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Final
6:00 PM – International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Kanagawa, JP

Former Celtic and Manchester United midfielder Liam Miller is battling cancer.

Liam Miller Cancer Diagnosis News

The 36-year-old Irishman is reportedly headed back to his homeland from the United States, where he has been receiving chemotherapy treatment.

Miller helped lead Ireland to 21 victories between 2004 and 2009. His only senior international goal came against Sweden in 2006.

“I hope he can get through this difficult time of his life,” said former Celtic team-mate John Hartson.

“Obviously all our thoughts go out to him and his family,” added Republic of Ireland manger Martin O’Neill.

Miller began his career with Celtic in 1997 as a youth and then moved on to the senior team in 2000. He also played for Leeds, Sunderland, QPR and Hibernian before heading to Australia to play for Perth Glory (2011-2013), Brisbane Roar (2013-2014) and Melbourne City (2014).

He then returned to Ireland to play for Cork City before playing for semi-professional American team Wilmington Hammerheads in North Carolina in 2016.

Celtic wrote on their official Twitter account: “The thoughts and prayers of everyone at Celtic Football Club are with Liam Miller and his family at this time.”

And Manchester United tweeted: “The thoughts of everyone at Manchester United go out to Liam Miller and his loved ones at this difficult time.”

According to The Guardian, Miller is suffering from pancreatic cancer.

Miller helped Celtic win the Scottish Premier League title in 2004.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 04: Liam Miller of the Roar celebrates after scoring the first goal of the game during the round 13 A-League match between the Melbourne Victory and Brisbane Roar at AAMI Park on January 4, 2014 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

The groups for the 2019 Rugby World Cup were announced on Wednesday, and Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt says he finds it “exciting” that his team has been drawn with Japan, the tournament’s host country.

Joe Schmidt’s Ireland Drawn With Host Japan For 2019 Rugby World Cup

“I think it’s incredibly exciting to draw the host nation,” said Schmidt. “I think the crowd, the enthusiasm and the interest in that game is going to be huge.”

Ireland, the No. 4 rugby team in the world, have faced Japan twice previously in the World Cup, winning both times in Dublin (1991) and South Africa (1995). Scotland is also in Ireland’s first-stage group for the 2019 tournament.

Schmidt’s Ireland team will also take a summer tour of Japan starting next month to play two test games against the Asian nation.

“We’ve seen the upward curve that Japan have taken in recent times – they got very close to beating Wales in the Millennium Stadium last autumn and obviously their heroics in the last World Cup were pretty spectacular,” Schmidt said. “It’s very hard to assess where teams are going to be in two years’ time. We lost to Scotland recently, so it’s a mixed bag.”

Scotland beat Ireland in this year’s Six Nations campaign and previously defeated the Irish in their only other World Cup matchup in a pool game in Edinburgh in 1991.

England are widely believed to be placed in the most difficult group for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. The English will face France and Argentina in the opening round.

Wales and Australia, who were drawn together along with England in the previous World Cup in 2015, are again matched up in the same group this year along with Georgia.

England failed to advance to the knockout stage in the rugby tournament four years ago, when they were also considered to be selected in the “group of death.” Wales lost to Australia in 2015.

“We want to win the World Cup in 2019, and to win it, we need to be ready to play and beat anyone,” said England head coach Eddie Jones. “Our pool will be highly competitive and full of intensity, as a World Cup group should be. History shows that you need to win seven games to win the tournament and we will greatly respect every team we play.”

New Zealand — the defending champions — South Africa and Italy comprise the fourth and final three-nation group for the 2019 World Cup.

All qualifying will be over by the end of next year. Here is the full draw, which includes two qualifiers in each pool:

Pool A: Ireland, Scotland, Japan, Europe 1, play-off winner (Europe 2 v Oceania 3)

Pool B: New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, Africa 1, repechage winner

Pool C: England, France, Argentina, Americas 1, Oceania 2

Pool D: Australia, Wales, Georgia, Oceania 1, Americas 2

The Americas 1 qualifier could be the United States or Canada, while the Oceania 2 qualifier would be either Samoa or Fiji. The Europe 1 group would include Romania, and Oceania 1 would include Tonga.

The top two countries from each group will advance to the quarter-finals in 2019. Here is what the quarter-final draws would look like:

The Mexican and Irish national soccer teams will face off in a friendly game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Thursday, June 1 and tickets are on sale now!

> BUY Soccer Tickets: Mexico vs. Ireland (June 1) at MetLife Stadium

The game will begin at 8 pm EST, and tickets are available at ticketmaster.com and begin at $33, with the most expensive seats at the home of the New York Giants and Jets of the NFL are priced at $275.

Ireland, led by head manager Martin O’Neill, have played against Mexico four times, tying three and losing once, and two of those games have been played in the U.S., including the 1994 FIFA World Cup Group E game in Orlando. The Irish last played at MetLife Stadium in June 2014, when they faced Portugal.

Mexico, who are 17th in FIFA’s World Cup Rankings, are led by head coach Juan Carlos Osorio. The Mexican team is also getting ready for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, which begins June 17 in Russia, where next year’s World Cup will be held.

Tickets will only be available for box office collection. There is a 15 overall ticket limit for this game.

Caption:PASADENA, CA – OCTOBER 10: The national soccer team of Mexico poses before the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup Qualifier at Rose Bowl on October 10, 2015 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Jonathan Moore/Getty Images)

The Football Association of Ireland have announced that the country will host the 16-nation UEFA European Under-17 Championship finals in 2019.

Ireland Set To Host 2019 UEFA Euro U17 Championship Finals

This, coupled with the fact that Dublin is set to host the Euro 2020 games, gives Ireland the chance to prove it can host a major competition, and FAI CEO John Delaney stated it will be a “memorable football occasion” for the nation.

“This is great news for Ireland and it is, once again, testament to the great work that has been done in partnership with all those who have pledged support with our bidding process,” said Delaney.

“In particular, I would like to thank all of the Dublin regional council authorities, Dublin City Council, South Dublin County Council, Fingal County Council and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, who were tremendous supporters throughout this process.”

The FAI CEO continued: “This is a prestigious tournament and will bring the best European underage talent to these shores for what will be a memorable football occasion for all of Ireland.”

FAI Director of High Performance Ruud Dokter said the awarding of the 2019 tournament to Ireland marked the end of an “excellent year for underage football in this country.”

“This announcement comes on the back of the successes of our Under 17s and Under 19s for both men and women, who have qualified for the Elite Rounds of their respective UEFA European Championship campaigns,” said Dokter.

“This news from UEFA is extremely positive for Irish football. Hosting the UEFA European Under 17 Championship Finals in 2019 perfectly fits in with everything we are trying to do with the development of our players.”

Ireland will also host two other major sports tournaments next year: the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup and 2017 European U18 Basketball Championships.

Ireland have reached the finals of the men’s U17 competition twice, in 2008 and 2015, but have yet to win a game, having drawn one match and lost the other five.

Croatia will stage the 2017 U17 final tournament in May, the third since the championship’s return to a 16-team event. England will be the 2018 hosts.

BELGRADE, SERBIA – MARCH 28: Anthony Dolan (R) of Ireland competes for the ball with David Sauerland (L) of Germany during the UEFA Under17 Elite Round between Germany and Ireland at Stadion FC Obilic on March 28, 2014 in Belgrade, Serbia. (Photo by Srdjan Stevanovic/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Twenty two years ago this week Ireland faced Italy on American soil at Giants Stadium during the 1994 World Cup.

Since, the rosters have changed over generations, and the venue has changed as well.

But the result is identical.

Ireland defeated the Azzurri Wednesday, 1-0, sending the Irish through to the knockout stage of Euro 2016 for the second consecutive time and third since 1988.

The winning blow came from Robbie Brady in the 85th minute when Wes Hoolahan played a picture perfect ball into the penalty area where Brady headed it home beyond the reach, or reaction, of Italian goaltender Salvatore Sirigu.

Just minutes earlier, it appeared that Hoolahan would bear the title of goat.

In the 83rd minute, Hoolahan, a 5-foot-6, 34 year old midfielder, found himself all alone with Sirigu from eight yards out.

The “Irish Messi,” as he has been dubbed by the German press, did not quite live up to the nickname. Instead, he rushed his shot at victory, driving the ball directly into the goalie’s shinguards and Sirigu turned him aside easily.

It appeared there would be no second chance as heads began to hang in the sections of green-clad Ireland fans.

But Hoolahan placed a perfect touch on the crown of Brady’s head and the rest is history.

Ireland improves to 2-1-3 against Italy in the last six meeting between the two sides. Italy still wins the group and they advance to play Spain in the knockout stage.

The Irish have earned a tough draw as well in their next match. Host nation France will be Ireland’s next opponent on Sunday.

In the final week of RBS 6 Nations, there were three teams who could potentially take home the trophy. This was largely due to Ireland’s surprising loss to Wales, which originally gave England the tiebreaker heading into the final round.

Now, when there is a tie — England, Wales and Ireland all had eight points — the winner is decided by point differential. As a result, all three teams needed to score as much as possible for a chance to win the 6 Nations trophy.

So needless to say, all three matches were pretty much blowouts. First, Wales destroyed the 6 Nations punching bag, aka Italy, 60-21. After a slow beginning for the Welsh, they topped Italy with seven second half tries.

On the other hand, Ireland, who has been known to start their matches slow, came out of the gate scoring. Forwards Paul O’Connell and Sean O’Brien put in the first two tries of the match.

And once they started scoring, they did not stop as the always reliable Jonathan Sexton hit four penalty kicks and three conversions, which was on top of two more tries in the final forty minutes.

Most importantly, after putting up ten points in the first half, Ireland’s defense buckled down and did not give up a single score in the second — controlling both possession and field position in the half.

And finally, England drew the unlucky straw, playing probably the toughest opponent of the three potential champions. While France has been largely inconsistent, they are still an extremely volatile opponent. And it truly showed in a game where defense was nonexistent.

In total, there were twelve tries scored. That is an astronomical amount when one considers the scarcity of tries on the professional level. While England put up the 55 points that they needed, France was able to fight back, scoring 35.

This would ultimately be England’s downfall, putting them behind Ireland by six points. And while Ireland struggled to put the ball in the try zone, there defense showed why they are one of the best in the world — they only gave up 56 points in the whole tournament. The only real disappointment had to be for Wales, who put up 60 against Italy and still remained in third by ten points.

Either way, it was a thrilling conclusion for a wonderful 6 Nations tournament. Ireland walked away as back-to-back champions and Scotland took home the wooden spoon for the third time in nine years.