The 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup doesn’t kick off until 1st October of that year, but the draw for the tournament has already been made. It will be the 11th edition of rugby union’s showpiece international tournament, with South Africa looking to defend their crown after winning in 2023.
The event takes place in Australia, and will see 24 teams take part for the first time (the previous seven tournaments have each included 20 sides). So let’s take a look at the draw and how England and the other home nations could muscle their way to glory.
Rugby World Cup 2027 – Structure and Draw
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The 24 teams competing for the Webb Ellis Cup will be divided into six groups of four, labelled Pools A to F. At the draw, the qualified sides were split into four Bands based on their World Rugby Rankings:
- Band 1 – South Africa, New Zealand, England, Ireland, France, Argentina
- Band 2 – Australia, Fiji, Scotland, Italy, Wales, Japan
- Band 3 – Georgia, Uruguay, Spain, United States, Chile, Tonga
- Band 4 – Samoa, Portugal, Romania, Hong Kong, Zimbabwe, Canada
One team from each pool was then randomly allocated to each of the Pools, which are detailed below. Each side will play the other three nations in their Pool once, with four points for a win, two for a draw, a bonus point for scoring four tries or more, and a ‘losing bonus point’ awarded to sides who are defeated but by a margin of seven points or fewer.
Once all the Pool matches have been played, the top two sides from each quartet will advance to the knockout stage of the tournament, along with the four best third-placed sides. The first knockout round will be the Round of 16, followed by the Quarter-finals, Semi-finals, and Final, which will take place on 13th November 2027.
Rugby World Cup Pools
- 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, United States, Samoa
- Pool F – England, Wales, Tonga, Zimbabwe
Pool A
Interestingly, hosts Australia only made it into Band 2 as they were ranked just seventh in the world (Argentina taking sixth spot). This means they were always destined for a tough draw, and so it proved as they’ll face their Antipodean neighbours New Zealand, as well as the ever-tricky Chile and minnows Hong Kong. The All Blacks are the second-favourites to win the World Cup, which would be their fourth success after triumphs in 1987, 2011, and 2015. Australia should still make it through to the Round of 16, and their home advantage could help them raise their game, which they’ll need to do to have any chance of going all the way.
Pool B
Tournament favourites South Africa are the side to beat in Pool B, though we don’t expect Italy, Georgia, or Romania to achieve that. The Springboks have won the World Cup a record four times (1995, 2007, 2019, and 2023). If they win in 2027, South Africa will become the first side to win three World Cups in a row, which would be pretty good going, given it will be only the 11th renewal.
Of the other sides in the group, Georgia could give Italy a decent run for their money for the runners-up position (as they’re only three places behind them in the rankings), but we can’t see Romania causing any upsets.
Pool C
Argentina pipped Australia to a place in Band 1, and they’ve been handsomely rewarded with one of the easiest Pools at the tournament. Okay, Fiji are always a handful, but neither Spain nor Canada should trouble an Argentina side who have made excellent strides in recent years. The Pumas are the seventh-favourites to win the World Cup, and some might be tempted to take a punt at decent odds. We don’t think they’ll go all the way, but they could certainly make the semis if they build up some momentum.
Pool D
Ireland have never won the World Cup; in fact, they’ve never made it past the quarter-finals. They’re first aim will be to win their Pool, which also includes Scotland, Uruguay, and Portugal, all of whom the Irish should beat with relative ease. They will certainly want to make the semis this time around, which would be a sign of progression. It’s unlikely Andy Farrell’s men will have what it takes to go all the way, but whoever they face in the latter stages of the tournament will certainly have to work extremely hard to get past the Irish.
Pool E
France are arguably the best side never to have won the World Cup. The current crop of French rugby stars gives Les Bleus as good a chance as they’ve had for a long time. They should certainly make short work of Japan, the United States, and Samoa to finish at the top of the Pool. The problem could come for France in the semi-finals, where they are likely to meet either South Africa or New Zealand.
Pool F
England were pretty happy with their draw for the World Cup. For a start, their Pool opponents, Wales, Tonga, and Zimbabwe, are all eminently beatable. Perhaps more significant, however, is that – assuming Pool results go largely as expected – England are likely to avoid the best three sides in the tournament until the final.
The three sides above England in the outright World Cup betting – New Zealand, France, and South Africa – are all in the top half of the draw, assuming they win their Pools. England (again, if they do the business in their Pool) are in the other half, with Ireland looking like the toughest opponents, who they might well meet in the semis.
Who Will Win the 2027 Rugby World Cup?
In all likelihood, the side that makes it through the top half of the draw should finish the job and win the final. Whichever of South Africa, New Zealand, or France makes it to the final will already have overcome some severe tests and hence will be ‘battle ready’ whoever they face in the showpiece match. It’s possible one of the sides from the bottom half of the draw could prevail, of course.
It could be that their players might have been able to keep more in reserve for the final. Ultimately, a lot might come down to injuries and suspensions to key personnel, but we think the winner of the likely South Africa vs New Zealand quarter-final match will ultimately lift the Webb Ellis Cup in 2027.