Australia will face trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand in a blockbuster group stage clash at the 2027 Rugby World Cup, while defending champions South Africa were drawn against Italy in Wednesday’s pool allocation ceremony in Sydney.
The draw has set up what promises to be a thrilling opening to the expanded 24-team tournament, which runs from 1 October to 13 November across six Australian cities.
Four-time champions South Africa headline Pool B alongside Italy, Georgia, and Romania. Rassie Erasmus’ all-conquering Springboks enter as overwhelming favourites to claim a third consecutive title following an exceptional 2025 campaign that saw them complete an Autumn Nations Series clean sweep while retaining their Rugby Championship crown.
The defending champions carry an eight-match unbeaten streak into the new year and are on a potential collision course with New Zealand in the quarter-finals.
Scott Robertson’s All Blacks, seeking to halt South Africa’s dominance and capture their fourth title and first since 2015, face a challenging Pool A assignment. After their heartbreaking 12-11 defeat to the Springboks in the 2023 final, New Zealand must navigate past Australia, Chile, and tournament debutants Hong Kong.
History favours the three-time champions, who have lost just one pool game across 10 previous World Cup campaigns.
For Australia, ranked outside the world’s top six and unseeded in the draw, a meeting with rugby royalty was always inevitable. The two-time champions endured their worst season in recent memory, suffering their first winless European tour since 1958 and a record 10 defeats.
However, Wallabies captain Harry Wilson remained bullish about the prospect of facing the All Blacks in what could be the tournament opener in Perth.
“As an Australian you always love to verse New Zealand and in the opening match of a World Cup, it doesn’t get much better than that,” Wilson said. “Very exciting, Hong Kong and Chile as well, two up-and-coming rugby nations.”
Australia coach Joe Schmidt, who will hand over duties to Les Kiss in mid-2026, welcomed the potential opening fixture: “It would immediately excite players, all the fans… I think it would be a great way to kick it off. It’s a trans-Tasman battle, which I think both teams are going to love having.”
Third-ranked England, the 2003 champions, drew Pool F alongside local rivals Wales, Tonga, and Zimbabwe, who return to World Cup competition for the first time since 1991.
Ireland, fresh from defeats to both South Africa and New Zealand, will contest Pool D with Scotland, Uruguay, and Portugal.
France leads Pool E with Japan, USA, and Samoa, while Argentina headlines Pool C against Fiji, Spain, and Canada.
The 2027 tournament introduces significant changes, expanding from 20 to 24 teams across 52 matches over six weeks. For the first time, a round of 16 will precede the quarter-finals, with the top two teams from each pool plus the four best third-placed sides advancing to the knockout phase.
Matches will be held across Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide, Townsville, Newcastle, and Brisbane, which will host the 2032 Olympics.
World Rugby chief Brett Robinson expressed his enthusiasm for the expanded format: “I couldn’t be more excited. We’ve just had an unbelievable Women’s World Cup in England and a couple of years out now from this iconic, amazing event.
“World Rugby are all about creating iconic events that unite rugby. We are truly a great global game and change lives. We’re looking forward to another World Cup changing people’s lives.”
The detailed match schedule will be announced on 3 February 2026.
Only four nations have claimed rugby’s ultimate prize: South Africa (4 titles), New Zealand (3), Australia (2), and England (1).
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