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Rugby World Cup

Rugby World Cup 2027 draw announcement delivers worrying showdown for All Blacks

Josh Raisey

147 days ago

Beauden Barrett of New Zealand walks past The Webb Ellis Cup following the Rugby World Cup France 2023 Gold Final match between New Zealand and South Africa at Stade de France on October 28, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Michael Steele - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

The Rugby World Cup 2027 pools were confirmed in Wednesday’s draw in Sydney, which placed the tournament hosts Australia in the same group as their rivals, the All Blacks.

The Tasman rivals have both been drawn in Pool A alongside Chile and Hong Kong China, and will meet at a World Cup for the first time since the final in 2015.

The winner of their meeting will likely top Pool A, which would potentially set up a quarter-final with reigning champions South Africa, should they win their round of 16 encounter against third-place of Pools C, E or F. The Springboks, meanwhile, would need to top Pool B and get through their round of 16 contest with third-place in Pools D, E or F to set up the showdown with either the Wallabies or the All Blacks.

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The runner-up of Pool A will meet the runner-up of Pool E (France, Japan, USA, Samoa) in the round of 16, and then a potential match-up with England in the quarter-finals, who triumphed over both Australia and the All Blacks in November.

World Rugby chair Brett Robinson oversaw proceedings alongside a star-studded trio: double World Cup-winner Dan Carter, long-serving Wallabies skipper James Slipper, and Australia Sevens Olympic gold medallist Alicia Lucas.

RWC 2027 tournament bracket

Each pool contains four teams, one from each of the four bands determined by the World Rankings. It’s a system designed to reward the top-ranked teams by keeping them apart early on.

Band 1 featured South Africa, New Zealand, England, Ireland, France and Argentina. Australia, Fiji, Scotland, Italy, Wales and Japan filled Band 2. Georgia, Spain, Uruguay, USA, Chile and Tonga made up Band 3, while Samoa, Portugal, Romania, Hong Kong China, Zimbabwe and Canada rounded out Band 4.

The tournament gets underway on October 1, with Australia and New Zealand potentially providing a mouth-watering curtain-raiser.

Pool A: New Zealand, Australia, Chile, Hong Kong China

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

The pools have been drawn for RWC 2027

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Comments

31 Comments

GM 147 days ago

Maybe we could even strike Wales in the semi, like the Boks in 2019!

GM 147 days ago

I think we should do the decent thing for our Aussie neighbours and let them win the opening game in their home tournament - do a Springboks trick a la 2019 and flag the first game, set yourself up in the easier side of the draw.

Easy_Duzz-it 147 days ago

Im very happy for the boys . First game will be a beauty 😌 … attitude check agasint the wallabies … first place will see us in shootout with the boks & i wouldnt want it any other way …

Blackmania 147 days ago

Disastrous draw for the All Blacks. Most likely the Boks in the quarterfinals. Then, if a miracle happens, the French in the semifinals. It makes you wonder whether it wouldn’t be better to lose against Australia in the pool stage to avoid that side of the bracket.

Robertson is clearly not going to be the man for the job. If nothing changes, it absolutely smells like an exit as early as the quarterfinals… Kirk needs to take responsibility and change the staff, otherwise the Blacks are heading straight for the gallows.

TokoRFC 146 days ago

I don’t know if Robertson should go or not, but I hope this draw is the kick up the jacksie NZR needed to do something

cw 147 days ago

Aussie at home will be a very different beast to the team that travelled north this year. They showed what they can do against the Lions. ABs are effectively playing at their second home too such is the amount of rugby they play there and the support they will have. So the Boks and France will have plenty to worry about either way come the quarters.

Hammer Head 147 days ago

If I had 10 Rand for every time I read something about Australia (and Scotland’s) chances of causing an upset…

johnz 147 days ago

Am I right in thinking the winner of Pool A will likely meet SA in the Quarters? Sounds like the runner-up has a better chance of progressing in the tourni.

d 147 days ago

The AB-Wallabies game should be a cracker then, everyone trying to avoid injuries and lose by not tackling and passing the ball to the opposition? actually that sounds like a normal Super Rugby match.

Dave Didley 147 days ago

Could be the making of them.

If it goes to form and they get pumped on the rivals tour, they could learn enough and have 12 months to regroup and to target their knockout with the boks.

SB 147 days ago

With the way the All Blacks have been this World Cup cycle and the negative records that Scott Robertson has achieved during this time, New Zealand fans should be worried regardless of whatever happens in the draw.

cw 147 days ago

Yep, but so should the Boks - beaten by both Aussie and ABs this year.

MDL 147 days ago

Well in spite of Razor, only Boks are really a concern in the RWC

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