The draw for the pool stage at the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia has been made – here’s everything you need to know
Everything you need to know about the Rugby World Cup 2027 draw
- Hosts face rivals in Pool A: Host nation Australia, who were drawn from Band 2, have been grouped with their fierce rivals New Zealand in Pool A, setting up a blockbuster match. This is the first time the two Southern Hemisphere giants will meet in the pool stage at a men’s Rugby World Cup, with Chile and debutants Hong Kong China completing the group.
- South Africa or New Zealand set for early exit: Reigning champions South Africa, the world’s number one ranked team, have been given a relatively comfortable draw in Pool B against Italy, Georgia and Romania. However, the path ahead is less forgiving, as the winner of this pool is set on a likely collision course with the winner of Pool A – New Zealand or Australia – in the quarter-finals. The likeliest quarter-final scenario, South africa v New Zealand, means one of the top two sides in the world could well crash out far earlier than expected.
- Pumas and Fiji head up Pool C: An intriguing Pool C is led by Argentina and Fiji. These two established World Cup nations will compete against Spain and Canada and will be expected to make it through to the knockout stages.
- Ireland and Scotland meet again in Pool D: A familiar fixture in Pool D as Ireland and Scotland have been drawn together for the third successive World Cup pool stage. They will also face 2023 tournament standout Portugal and Uruguay in another exciting group.
- France lead Pool E as favourites: Three-time finalists France headline Pool E, where they will face Japan, Samoa and the United States. The French are clear favorites to top the group, with Japan and Samoa likely to battle it out for the runner-up spot.
- Wales face old enemy in Pool F: England and Wales have both been drawn in Pool F to set up one of the most eye-catching fixtures at the tournament. They are joined by Tonga and Zimbabwe and, with England clear favourites to top the group, they are likely to avoid other top-ranked teams until the semi-finals
- ‘Dream’ draw for England: Indeed, the English media have described the draw for Steve Borthwick’s side as a “dream” and the best they could have hoped for. This is based on the assumption they will beat Wales, top the group and won’t face a fellow group winner until the semi-finals. England’s likely path, based on seedings, would see them meet Italy in the last 16 and Australia in the quarter-finals. They will avoid South Africa until the final, should they get that far.
- Expanded format and round of 16: The tournament has been expanded to 24 teams, resulting in six pools of four teams, a change from the previous 20-team structure. This new format introduces a Round of 16 knockout stage, with the top two teams from each pool, plus the four best third-placed teams, advancing.
READ THE FULL STORY: Rugby World Cup draw in full as Wales face England in Pool stages