* The 20-team competition will comprise four pools, each containing five countries.

* Seedings are based on the current International Rugby Board world rankings, with teams divided into five tiers of four.

* Tier one is New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and France.

* Tier two is England, Ireland, Samoa and Argentina.

* Tier three is Wales, Italy, Tonga and Scotland.

* Tier four is Oceania 1, Europe 1, Asia 1 and Americas 1.

* Tier five is Africa 1, Europe 2, Americas 2, Repechage winner.

* The identity of tier four and five countries will be confirmed after World Cup qualifying games.

* A tier one country will be drawn into each of the four pools, followed by one from tier two, tier three, etc.

* The trademark ’pool of death’ is likely to be the one that includes Wales, who were World Cup semi-finalists in New Zealand last year.

* The top two teams in each pool will progress to the 2015 World Cup quarter-finals.

* The top three teams in each pool will secure automatic qualification for the 2019 World Cup in Japan.

* The competition will run from September 18 to October 31, 2015, with Twickenham hosting the final.

Here are the 17 stadia named by England Rugby as potential venues for the tournament, which will be reduced to 12 in 2013:

Villa Park, Birmingham. Capacity: 42,788

Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton. Capacity: 22,500

Ashton Gate, Bristol. Capacity: 21,497

Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. Capacity: 72,500

Coventry Stadium, Coventry. Capacity: 32,609

Pride Park, Derby. Capacity: 33,597

Kingsholm, Gloucester. Capacity: 16,500

Elland Road, Leeds. Capacity: 39,460

Leicester City Stadium, Leicester. Capacity: 32,262

Olympic Stadium, London. Capacity: 80,000

Twickenham Stadium, London. Capacity: 82,000

Wembley Stadium, London. Capacity: 90,000

Old Trafford, Manchester. Capacity: 75,811

Stadiummk, Milton Keynes. Capacity: 32,000

St James’ Park, Newcastle. Capacity: 52,387

St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton. Capacity: 32,689

Stadium of Light, Sunderland. Capacity: 49,000