Our in-depth breakdown of the Rugby World Cup 2027 draw, with full pools, historic head-to-heads, key talking points and early predictions.
The countdown to Rugby World Cup 2027 can officially begin, with teams finding out their opponents for the next edition of the tournament, which takes place in Australia in two years’ time.
The 2027 edition will feature an expanded 24-team format, the first time the tournament has expanded since 1999 – the first men’s Rugby World Cup of the professional era – when 20 teams took part compared to the total of 16 across the first three editions.
The additional four teams mean some less familiar names will feature. Hong Kong China will make their tournament debut, while Zimbabwe will make their first appearance since 1991 and Spain their second overall, after 1999.
Among the heavyweights, South Africa will be the early favourites and will be going for an unprecedented three-peat, a feat no side has ever achieved in the men’s tournament and one that would surely crown this South African crop as the greatest ever.
It already looks like the Springboks will have to do it the hard way like they did in 2023, with a potential quarter-final meeting with the All Blacks on the cards. But form and fortunes can change quickly in rugby and an ‘easy’ route to the final now may well look a lot harder come October 2027.
Here’s a full breakdown of the pools and the key numbers behind each matchup.
Pool A sees a mix of old foes and newer faces, with hosts Australia coming up against neighbours New Zealand, alongside Chile – who are making their second appearance at the tournament – and debutants Hong Kong China completing the group.
Australia versus New Zealand is the most played fixture in rugby union history, with the sides having met on 181 occasions. The All Blacks have won 71% of those matches (W128 D8 L45) but their head-to-head record at the Rugby World Cup is evenly split, winning two apiece from their four clashes.
This is the first time they’ve been drawn in the same pool. Their first three meetings all came in the semi-finals (1991, 2003, 2011) before they met in the final in 2015. The Wallabies won the first two but New Zealand have taken bragging rights since.
Chile and Hong Kong China are the two most recent debutants at the men’s Rugby World Cup. Chile made their first appearance in 2023, while Hong Kong China will become the 27th different nation to feature.
Rugby World Cup Record vs Pool Opponents:
New Zealand: P4 W2 L2 vs Australia
Australia: P4 W2 L2 vs New Zealand
Chile: Never faced any of their pool opponents
Hong Kong: Tournament debut
Pool B offers the most historical crossover, with Italy vs Georgia the only new Rugby World Cup fixture. That match may well decide second place behind South Africa, who enter as clear favourites.
The Springboks will be the heavy favourites to win this pool and indeed the entire tournament. They have won each of their previous four games against Georgia, Italy and Romania at the Rugby World Cup and their victories against the latter two all came in ultimately successful campaigns, beating Romania in 1995 and 2023 and Italy in 2019.
The lone meeting (and victory) with Georgia came in 2003, the year they were knocked out by New Zealand in the quarter-finals, a team they look likely to meet in the last eight in 2027.
With qualification to the last 16 now in play due to the expanded format, Italy, Romania and Georgia will all fancy themselves to extend their tournament for at least one more week.
Rugby World Cup Record vs Pool Opponents:
South Africa: P1 W1 L0 vs Georgia, P1 W1 L0 vs Italy, P2 W2 L0 vs Romania
Italy: P2 W2 L0 vs Romania, P1 W0 L1 vs South Africa
Georgia: P1 W1 L0 vs Romania, P1 W0 L1 vs South Africa
Romania: P1 W0 L1 vs Georgia, P2 W0 L2 vs Italy, P2 W0 L2 vs South Africa
Pool C is one of two groups to never produce a Rugby World Cup finalist, but Argentina have consistently threatened to break through. The Pumas have reached three semi-finals in the last five editions and will expect to push deep again in 2027.
This pool promises to be an exciting one, with Argentina capable of playing some sublime rugby, while Fiji will bring their usual flair and will be eyeing up an upset against the Argentinians to take the top spot and a more favourable path in the knockouts.
The Flying Fijians themselves will need to be wary though. They lost to a Portugal side in 2023 who only qualified for the tournament at Spain’s expense after Los Leones were expelled for the second time in a row.
Spain and Canada will likely battle for third place, but each will eye Fiji as a potential upset opportunity.
Rugby World Cup Record vs Pool Opponents:
Argentina: P1 W0 L1 vs Fiji
Fiji: P1 W1 L0 vs Argentina, P3 W2 L1 vs Canada
Spain: Never faced any of their pool opponents
Canada: P3 W1 L2 vs Fiji
It might seem harsh to say but Pool D is home to arguably the biggest underachievers at the Rugby World Cup, with Ireland and Scotland reaching just one semi-final between them (Scotland in 1991) across their combined 20 tournament appearances. That’s despite going into the Rugby World Cup on multiple occasions having recently won the Five or Six Nations.
The meeting between the pair will hold the utmost importance as topping the group could open up a more favourable draw, likely avoiding South Africa, New Zealand, France or England until at least the semi-finals. Scotland defeated Ireland at this stage in 1991 on their way to the semi-finals while Ireland won their only other meetings which came at the last two tournaments.
Scotland have faced 21 different nations in the tournament – the most of any team – but look unlikely to expand on that as they are the only team in Pool D to have met every other team in their group at the Rugby World Cup and are incredibly unlikely to meet anyone new in the knockouts.
In contrast, Ireland will meet some new opposition at the tournament in the form of Uruguay and Portugal. They’ve never met the South Americans in any match but have faced Portugal once before, beating Os Lobos 106-7 earlier this year, a result which represented Portugal’s biggest ever defeat and Ireland’s biggest ever win.
Rugby World Cup Record vs Pool Opponents:
Ireland: P3 W2 L1 vs Scotland
Scotland: P3 W1 L2 vs Ireland, P1 W1 L0 vs Portugal, P1 W1 L0 vs Uruguay
Uruguay: P1 W0 L1 vs Scotland
Portugal: P1 W0 L1 vs Scotland
Pool E is the most experienced group, with its four teams combining for 159 Rugby World Cup matches. Every nation has appeared in at least eight editions.
There may be no tournament wins in Pool E, but France have reached the final on three occasions and have the quality to finally lift the Webb Ellis Cup in two years’ time.
Samoa and Japan is one of the more familiar match-ups in the 2027 Rugby World Cup draw, with the sides having faced each other in the pool stage on four occasions, including the last three editions in a row, while they were also joined by the USA in 2015.
This pool may see the most drama. Japan will feel they have the ability to beat France to top spot having taken some big scalps at recent tournaments, while Samoa have the players and potential to beat the Brave Blossoms.
Meanwhile the USA, who qualified ahead of Samoa for this Rugby World Cup, will be targeting third place and a potential route to the last 16, which would be a major boost for rugby in America, who are set to host the 2031 edition.
Rugby World Cup Record vs Pool Opponents:
France: P2 W2 L0 vs Japan, P2 W2 L0 vs USA
Japan: P2 W0 L2 vs France, P4 W3 L1 vs Samoa, P3 W1 L2 vs USA
USA: P2 W0 L2 vs France, P3 W2 L1 vs Japan, P2 W L2 vs Samoa
Samoa: P4 W1 L3 vs Japan, P2 W2 L0 vs USA
Pool F contains the only northern hemisphere nation ever to win the Rugby World Cup, and England may well be the most likely side from that part of the world to lift the trophy in 2027. They will have fond memories of Australia too, with their 2003 triumph coming Down Under.
On their way to glory in 2003 they defeated a Wales team who came into the tournament on the back of a couple of disastrous Six Nations campaigns, so there might be a case of déjà vu come 2027.
Wales will hope to be in a better place when the tournament kicks off but back in 2003 they gave England a real scare despite their recent form. That was Wales’ only loss to England at the Rugby World Cup, winning in both 1987 – on Australian soil – and in 2015 at Twickenham.
Tonga will provide some physical opposition and it will be intriguing to see whether more players join the Pacific Islanders via the new eligibility rules, with former England internationals Mako and Billy Vunipola both touted to join the Tongan set up in coaching and playing roles respectively.
Zimbabwe complete the group, making their third appearance overall and their first since 1991 after knocking out regulars Namibia on their way to a final qualification victory against Algeria last year.
Rugby World Cup Record vs Pool Opponents:
England: P3 W3 L0 vs Tonga, P3 W1 L2 vs Wales
Wales: P3 W2 L1 vs England, P2 W2 L0 vs Tonga
Tonga: P3 W0 L3 vs England, P2 W0 L2 vs Wales
Zimbabwe: Never faced any of their pool opponents
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