The draw for the largest Rugby World Cup in history has been, made with all 24 qualified nations finding out their fate for the tournament in Australia.
New Zealand will meet hosts Australia in a mouthwatering clash in pool A, which also features Chile and World Cup debutants Hong Kong, while England have been drawn against neighbours Wales in pool E, with Tonga and Zimbabwe. Scotland and Ireland are together in pool D, alongside Portugal and Uruguay.
The 2027 edition has been expanded by four teams as rugby’s signature event heads Down Under for the first time since England’s triumph in 2003. Could Steve Borthwick’s side follow in the footsteps of Martin Johnson, Jonny Wilkinson and co? After an encouraging 2025, they appear to be heading in the right direction though it will take some team to stop South Africa from completing a three-peat if the Springboks continue on their current trajectory.
A 24-team tournament brings a revamped format with six pools of four sides drawn, and a round of 16 introduced. With some third-placed sides progressing, a favourable draw could be key to a nation’s chances of going deep in two years’ time.
Follow all of the latest from the 2027 Rugby World Cup draw in Sydney with our live blog below:
2027 Rugby World Cup draw live
- The draw for the 2027 Rugby World Cup has been made
- Springboks are the defending champions and seeking a third triumph in a row
- Tournament has been expanded to 24 teams, with Hong Kong making their debut
- New Zealand draw hosts Australia in pool A showdown
- England meet neighbours Wales in pool F with Tonga and Zimbabwe
- Ireland face Scotland in competitive pool D with Portugal and Uruguay
- Reigning champions South Africa draw against Italy, Georgia and Romania
- World Cup begins on 1 October 2027 with final on 13 November
Rugby World Cup 2027 draw
09:31 , Lawrence OstlereThe draw is complete – England face Wales! Ireland face Scotland! New Zealand face Australia! Oof.
Pool A
New Zealand 🇳🇿
Australia 🇦🇺
Chile 🇨🇱
Hong Kong 🇭🇰
Pool B
South Africa 🇿🇦
Italy 🇮🇹
Georgia 🇬🇪
Romania 🇷🇴
Pool C
Argentina 🇦🇷
Fiji 🇫🇯
Spain 🇪🇸
Canada 🇨🇦
Pool D
Ireland 🟢
Scotland 🏴
Uruguay 🇺🇾
Portugal 🇵🇹
Pool E
France 🇫🇷
Japan 🇯🇵
USA 🇺🇸
Samoa 🇼🇸
Pool F
England 🏴
Wales 🏴
Tonga 🇹🇴
Zimbabwe 🇿🇼
South Africa’s route to Rugby World Cup 2027 final
11:46 , Lawrence OstlereHere’s what the tournament favourites the Springboks can expect in 2027:
South Africa’s route to Rugby World Cup 2027 final after draw
England’s route to Rugby World Cup 2027 final
11:25 , Lawrence OstlereHere’s what England can expect in 2027 and who might await them should they escape from their pool:
Rugby World Cup draw confirmed
10:59 , Lawrence OstlereHosts Australia have been handed a tough draw for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, drawn with fierce rivals New Zealand in Pool A for what will be a mouthwatering curtain-raiser to the tournament.
England will play neighbours Wales in Pool F, which also features Tonga and Zimbabwe. Scotland and Ireland have also been drawn together, alongside Portugal and Uruguay in what could be a highly competitive Pool D.
South Africa, the reigning champions, will play Italy, Georgia and Romania Pool B, and the Springboks are likely to meet either Australia or New Zealand in a blockbuster quarter-final.
Full story on the draw:
All Blacks meet Australia as England face Wales at 2027 Rugby World Cup
Route to the final
10:05 , Lawrence OstlereWhereas the opposite is true for New Zealand and South Africa, who, based on current rankings, are on a collision course to meet in the quarter-finals. That would be something special.
The winner of that one would most likely meet France in the semis.
Route to the final
10:01 , Lawrence OstlereNot like us to jump ahead and start pencilling in results, but England (and Wales) are, theoretically, in the safest part of the draw they could be, should they win pool F.
Their most likely opponents in the round of 16 would be Italy, based on current seedings. Beat Italy and they would most likely play the hosts, Australia, which would not be easy of course.
But assuming New Zealand, South Africa and France win their pools, then they would all be on the other half of the draw and not be a possible opponent until the final.
Based on current seedings, Ireland or Argentina would be the most likely semi-final opponents for the winner of pool F.
When is the Rugby World Cup?
09:47 , Lawrence OstlereA long time away, is the short answer.
The tournament, hosted by Australia, doesn’t begin until 1 October 2027, with the final scheduled for 13 November. That’s nearly two years to wait until we discover who lifts the Webb Ellis Trophy.
A lot can change in that time, of course, and we may think very differently about some of these pools by the time the World Cup comes around.
Rugby World Cup 2027 draw
09:42 , Lawrence OstlereFrance will be pleased with their draw, avoiding the most problematic sides in band 2. They will meet Japan, USA and Somoa in pool E, where the battle to qualify behind the French will be fierce.
Rugby World Cup 2027 draw
09:41 , Lawrence OstlereWales have 20 months to get their act together before they face neighbours England, in a pool F which also features the potentially dangerous Tonga. Zimbabwe will have a tough task there.
Rugby World Cup 2027 draw
09:34 , Lawrence OstlereIt’s a tough-looking draw for Scotland in pool D, who not only face Ireland but also Uruguay and Portugal, two of the tougher sides in bands three and four.
Rugby World Cup 2027 draw
09:33 , Lawrence OstlereThe All Blacks against the Wallabies in Australia is a mouth-watering prospect, which may well be the first match of the tournament. What a way to raise the curtain if so.
Rugby World Cup 2027 draw
09:29 , Lawrence OstlereThe band two nations have been drawn!
Pool A
Australia 🇦🇺
Chile 🇨🇱
Hong Kong 🇭🇰
Pool B
Italy 🇮🇹
Georgia 🇬🇪
Romania 🇷🇴
Pool C
Fiji 🇫🇯
Spain 🇪🇸
Canada 🇨🇦
Pool D
Scotland 🏴
Uruguay 🇺🇾
Portugal 🇵🇹
Pool E
Japan 🇯🇵
USA 🇺🇸
Samoa 🇼🇸
Pool F
Wales 🏴
Tonga 🇹🇴
Zimbabwe 🇿🇼
Rugby World Cup 2027 draw
09:28 , Lawrence OstlereBand two coming up – Wales and Scotland here...
Rugby World Cup 2027 draw
09:27 , Lawrence OstlereThe band three nations have been drawn!
Pool A
Australia 🇦🇺
Chile 🇨🇱
Hong Kong 🇭🇰
Pool B
Georgia 🇬🇪
Romania 🇷🇴
Pool C
Spain 🇪🇸
Canada 🇨🇦
Pool D
Uruguay 🇺🇾
Portugal 🇵🇹
Pool E
USA 🇺🇸
Samoa 🇼🇸
Pool F
Tonga 🇹🇴
Zimbabwe 🇿🇼
Rugby World Cup 2027 draw
09:25 , Lawrence OstlereThe band four nations have been drawn!
Pool A
Australia 🇦🇺
Hong Kong 🇭🇰
Pool B
Romania 🇷🇴
Pool C
Canada 🇨🇦
Pool D
Portugal 🇵🇹
Pool E
Samoa 🇼🇸
Pool F
Zimbabwe 🇿🇼
Rugby World Cup 2027 draw
09:23 , Lawrence OstlereOne nation has already been drawn – Australia, as hosts, will be in Pool A.
Rugby World Cup 2027 draw
09:19 , Lawrence OstlereOK, here we go. Oh hold on, some more from Dan Carter... “The pinnacle of any professional rugby player to be involved in a Rugby World Cup. It reminds me of being a five-year-old boy...”
While Dan’s talking, a reminder of the bands, split by world rankings, which will be drawn into six pools of four teams.
- Band 1: South Africa, New Zealand, England, Ireland, France, Argentina
- Band 2: Australia, Fiji, Scotland, Italy, Wales, Japan
- Band 3: Georgia, Uruguay, Spain, USA, Chile, Tonga
- Band 4: Samoa, Portugal, Romania, Hong Kong, Zimbabwe, Canada
Rugby World Cup 2027 draw
09:12 , Lawrence OstlereAfter some extensive preamble, we are assured the draw is just “moments away”...
Rugby World Cup 2027 draw
09:08 , Lawrence OstlereHere is how the knockout bracket looks, as the RWC explains:
The teams that finish top of Pool A, B, C and D will face a third-place team in the Round of 16, while the teams that finish top of Pool E and F will face teams that finished second in their pool. Likewise, some teams that finished second in their pool may face the winner of another pool, while some will face the runners-up.
While on the surface that may seem slightly unfair, that imbalance is addressed in the next round. Let's take Pool A and Pool E as an example. The team that wins Pool A will face a third-place team in the Round of 16, but in the quarter-finals could potentially meet the winner of Pool B if that team wins their Round of 16 match.
On the other hand, the team that wins Pool E will face a runner-up rather than a third-place team in the Round of 16, but in the quarter-finals would face the winner of a quarter-final between two other runners-up.
Rugby World Cup 2027 draw
09:05 , Lawrence OstlereThe draw is nearly upon us! Dan Carter and Tim Horan are in the studio and it looks like they will be our ball-pluckers this morning (or evening, in Australia).
Rugby World Cup 2027 draw
09:00 , Lawrence OstlereHere is the new tournament format, as explained by the Rugby World Cup website:
There will now be six pools with four teams in each. The top two teams from each pool will progress to the Round of 16, while the four best third-place teams will also progress. Those four teams will be determined by competition points firstly, and if that doesn't separate the sides then points difference and try difference will be the next factors used respectively to determine which teams make it out of the pool stage.
Rugby World Cup 2027 draw
08:52 , Lawrence OstlereThe draw for the biggest Rugby World Cup in history is about to be made as the 24 qualified nations find out their fate.
The tournament has been expanded by four teams from the 2023 edition as the competition returns to Australia, which will also host the women’s equivalent in 2029, for the first time since England’s triumph in 2003.
Hong Kong make their debut at the World Cup while Zimbabwe make their first appearance since 1991 having come through qualifying to join the defending champion Springboks as the African representatives in the draw.
Ten European nations have qualified, and there was nearly an 11th — Belgium just missed out on a place to Samoa despite a draw with the Pacific Islanders at the final qualification tournament.
Rugby World Cup 2027 draw
08:38 , Lawrence OstlereA reminder of the pots, or bands, for this World Cup. None of the band 1 teams will want to face Australia or Scotland, you’d imagine. And Wales could be a entirely different prospect in 18 months...
- Band 1: South Africa, New Zealand, England, Ireland, France, Argentina
- Band 2: Australia, Fiji, Scotland, Italy, Wales, Japan
- Band 3: Georgia, Uruguay, Spain, USA, Chile, Tonga
- Band 4: Samoa, Portugal, Romania, Hong Kong, Zimbabwe, Canada
Autumn results
08:23 , Lawrence OstlereIt was a brilliant autumn for England and South Africa, who came away with perfect records, while Scotland were left disappointed after squandering a huge lead against Argentina.
Week one
Saturday 1 November
- England 25-7 Australia
- South Africa 61-7 Japan
- Scotland 85-0 USA
- Ireland 13-26 New Zealand
Week two
Saturday 8 November
- Ireland 41-10 Japan
- Scotland 17-25 New Zealand
- England 38-18 Fiji
- Italy 26-19 Australia
- France 17-32 South Africa
Sunday 9 November
- Wales 28-52 Argentina
Week three
Saturday 15 November
- Italy 14-32 South Africa
- England 33-19 New Zealand
- Wales 24-23 Japan
- France 34-21 Fiji
- Ireland 46-19 Australia
Sunday 16 November
- Scotland 24-33 Argentina
Week four
- Wales 26-52 New Zealand
- Ireland 13-24 South Africa
- France 48-33 Australia
- Italy 34-19 Chile
Sunday 23 November
- Scotland 56-0 Tonga
- England 27-23 Argentina
Week five
Saturday 29 November
- Wales 0-73 South Africa
Rugby World Cup 2027 draw
08:15 , Lawrence OstlereWe’re expecting the draw to get going at around 9am GMT. Here is a reminder of all the nations involved:
Automatic qualifiers: South Africa, England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales, Australia, Fiji, Japan, New Zealand, Argentina.
Continental qualifiers: Zimbabwe, Hong Kong, Georgia, Spain, Romania, Portugal, Tonga, Canada, United States, Uruguay
Play-off/final qualification tournament: Chile, Samoa.
Wales and Scotland's best and worst case scenarios from Rugby World Cup 2027 draw
07:50 , Jack RathbornScotland and Wales face a tricky test as a band two sides, here’s the best and worst case scenarios for them
Worst-case scenario: South Africa, Scotland/Wales, Georgia, Samoa
Best-case scenario: Argentina, Scotland/Wales, Tonga, Canada
England and Ireland's best and worst case scenarios from Rugby World Cup 2027 draw
07:40 , Jack RathbornIf we look at the world rankings, Steve Borthwick and Andy Farrell’s sides, given they are in band one, could face:
Worst-case scenario: England/Ireland, Australia, Georgia, Samoa
Best-case scenario: England/Ireland, Japan, Tonga, Canada
Rugby World Cup 2027 odds: Who is the favourite?
07:30 , Jack Rathborn- South Africa 9/4
- New Zealand 10/3
- France 9/2
- England 5/1
- Ireland 13/2
- Australia 15/2
- Argentina 22/1
- Scotland 40/1
- Fiji 50/1
- Wales 66/1
- Italy 150/1
- Japan 250/1
- Samoa 250/1
Where are the Rugby World Cup host cities?
07:20 , Jack RathbornThe Rugby World Cup 2027 will be hosted in seven cities across Australia.
- Townsville, Queensland
- Adelaide, South Australia
- Brisbane, Queensland
- Melbourne, Victoria
- Newcastle, New South Wales
- Perth, Western Australia
- Sydney, New South Wales
When is the 2027 Rugby World Cup draw?
07:10 , Jack RathbornThe draw for the 2027 Rugby World Cup will be held on Wednesday 3 December from 9am GMT. Proceedings will be fronted by former Australia international Morgan Turinui, with World Rugby chair and former Australian international Brett Robinson, All Blacks legend and two-time RWC winner Dan Carter, former Wallabies captain and Australia’s most-capped player James Slipper, and Olympic gold medallist and former Australian Sevens star Alicia Lucas on hand as Draw Presenters.
How will Rugby World Cup 2027 draw work?
Tuesday 2 December 2025 16:56 , Jack RathbornAn expanded edition of the World Cup will see six pools of four drawn, with a round-of-16 introduced for this tournament in a bigger knockout phase. The 24 qualified nations will be divided into four bands of six based on their place in the World Rugby Rankings at the end of the November international window.
- Band 1: South Africa, New Zealand, England, Ireland, France, Argentina
- Band 2: Australia, Fiji, Scotland, Italy, Wales, Japan
- Band 3: Georgia, Uruguay, Spain, USA, Chile, Tonga
- Band 4: Samoa, Portugal, Romania, Hong Kong, Zimbabwe, Canada
Who has qualified for Rugby World Cup 2027?
Tuesday 2 December 2025 16:56 , Jack RathbornAutomatic qualifiers: South Africa, England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales, Australia, Fiji, Japan, New Zealand, Argentina.
Continental qualifiers: Zimbabwe, Hong Kong, Georgia, Spain, Romania, Portugal, Tonga, Canada, United States, Uruguay
Play-off/final qualification tournament: Chile, Samoa.
Springboks lock Eben Etzebeth facing long ban after red card for eye gouge mars record win over Wales
Tuesday 2 December 2025 16:54 , Jack RathbornSouth Africa lock Eben Etzebeth was sent off for an eye gouge as the veteran’s ugly act marred a record Springboks win against Wales in Cardiff.
A 73-0 defeat was the hosts’ heaviest in history on home soil, with the world champions in impressive form in running in 11 tries against an under-strength Wales unable to pick their foreign-based players.
But another one-sided victory for Rassie Erasmus’s men was spoiled at the last after Etzebeth appeared to direct a thumb into the eye of Alex Mann, the Wales flanker.
How many games could Eben Etzebeth miss after red card for eye gouge?
Argentina demand investigation into ‘bully’ Tom Curry after alleged tunnel shove
Tuesday 2 December 2025 16:53 , Jack RathbornArgentina have made an official complaint and called for an investigation into the actions of England star Tom Curry, after accusing him of shoving their coach Felipe Contepomi in a post-match tunnel scuffle.
At the full-time whistle of England’s 27-23 victory over the Pumas at Allianz Stadium – which secured a perfect record in the Quilter Nations Series, an unbeaten home record in 2025 and took their winning streak to 11 matches – there was a fracas on the pitch between both sets of players.
It seemed to be sparked by Curry’s late hit on Argentina full-back Juan Cruz Mallia, which forced his withdrawal five minutes from time and while the England flanker was penalised, his tackle wasn’t reviewed by the television match official (TMO) to determine if any further punishment was required.
Argentina demand investigation into ‘bully’ Tom Curry after alleged tunnel shove
RFU finances bounce back after record loss
Tuesday 2 December 2025 16:53 , Jack RathbornEngland’s Rugby Football Union (RFU) made a small loss in the 2024/25 financial year despite its second highest revenue in history.
The RFU has reported total revenue of £228m, up £175m from the year before, and higher than any year except 2015/16, when England hosted the men’s Rugby World Cup.
That financial boost led to an underlying profit of £8m, helping to swell cash levels to £71m and an improved position of liquidity after record losses of £37.9m last year. The union invested £94m in English rugby across the financial year, including more than £31m in the community game, leading to a net loss of £1.9m.
Rugby World Cup draw live
Tuesday 2 December 2025 16:30 , Harry Latham-CoyleThe draw for the largest Rugby World Cup in history is about to be made as 24 qualified nations find out what awaits them in Australia in 2027. Can anyone stop the Springboks from completing a three-peat? How will newcomers Hong Kong fare? Might England triumph again in the country of their sole tournament success in 2003? Their pool stage fate will soon be known.
