Tokyo – Team camps spanning some 1 500 kilometres for next year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan were announced on Friday by the sport’s governing body.

World Rugby said the 20 teams competing in the tournament starting on September 20 will utilise 52 camps during the group stage, ranging from the northernmost island prefecture of Hokkaido to Miyazaki on the southwestern island of Kyushu.

Sites were chosen in consultation with teams after applications were received from 90 cities and prefectures around the country.

The Springboks, who are in the same pool as the defending champion All Blacks, will hold camps in Urayasu, Omaezaki, Ichinomiya and Kobe.

The team camps for the knockout stage will be announced later, with the final scheduled for November 2, 2019.

The Rugby World Cup in Japan is the ninth edition of the sport’s showcase global event and the first to be held in Asia.

Provisionally selected team camps for RWC 2019:

Pool A

Ireland: Ichihara City, Yokohama City, Kakegawa City/Iwata City, Kobe City, Kasuga City

Scotland: Tokyo Metropolitan Government A, Yokohama City, Hamamatsu City, Kobe City/Hyogo Pref., Nagasaki Pref./Nagasaki City

Japan: Tokyo Metropolitan Government B, Tokyo Metropolitan Government C, Hamamatsu City

Romania: Saitama City, Saitama Pref./Kumagaya City A, Musashino City, Ebina City, Kakegawa City/Iwata City, Awaji City/Hyogo Pref.

Playoff winner: Yamagata Pref./Yamagata City/Tendo City, Saitama Pref./Kumagaya City B, Nagoya City, Awaji City/Hyogo Pref., Fukuoka Pref./Fukuoka City

Pool B

New Zealand: Urayasu City, Tokyo Metropolitan Government C, Ichinomiya City, Beppu City

South Africa: Urayasu City, Omaezaki City, Ichinomiya City, Kobe City

Italy: Shizuoka City, Toyota City, Sakai City, Fukuoka Pref./Fukuoka City

Africa 1: Iwate Pref./Miyako City, Morioka City, Machida City, Toyota City, Osaka Pref./Higashi Osaka City, Wakayama Pref./Kamitonda Town

Repechage winner: Iwate Pref./Kamaishi City, Kobe City/Hyogo Pref., Nagato City, Kasuga City, Oita Pref./Beppu City

Pool C

England: Sapporo City A, Fuchu City, Tokyo Metropolitan Government C, Kobe City, Miyazaki Pref./Miyazaki City

France: Fuchu City, Tokyo Metropolitan Government A, Fujiyoshida City/Fujikawaguchiko Town, Kumamoto Pref./Kumamoto City A

Argentina: Fukushima Pref., Saitama Pref./Kumagaya City A, Tokyo Metropolitan Government B, Osaka Pref./Higashi Osaka City

USA: Saitama Pref./Kumagaya City B, Sakai City, Fukuoka Pref./Fukuoka City, Yomitan Village

Tonga: Sapporo City B, Saitama Pref./Kumagaya City B, Osaka Pref./Higashi Osaka City, Sakai City, Nagasaki Pref./Shimabara City, Kumamoto Pref./Kumamoto City B

Pool D

Australia: Hokkaido Pref./Ebetsu City, Urayasu City, Tokyo Metropolitan Government C, Kakegawa City/Iwata City, Beppu City

Wales: Tokyo Metropolitan Government B, Toyota City, Otsu City, Kitakyushu City, Kumamoto Pref./Kumamoto City A, Beppu City

Georgia: Saitama Pref./Kumagaya City B, Omaezaki City, Nagoya City, Sakai City

Fiji: Sapporo City C, Abashiri City, Iwate Pref./Miyako City, Otsu City, Osaka Pref./ Higashi Osaka City, Oita City

Uruguay: Iwate Pref./Kamaishi City, Kitakami City, Saitama Pref./Kumagaya City B, Kumamoto Pref./Kumamoto City B, Oita City