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Rugby World Cup

RWC 2027 pools confirmed: Boks handed great start for title defence

By Josh Raisey

10 days ago

Siya Kolisi of South Africa poses for a photo with the The Webb Ellis Cup following the Rugby World Cup Final match between New Zealand and South Africa at Stade de France on October 28, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Following Wednesday’s draw in Sydney, the six pools for the Rugby World Cup 2027 have now been decided, with reigning champions South Africa being drawn in Pool B.

The four-time champions have been drawn with Italy, Georgia and Romania, avoiding the tournament hosts Australia in Pool A, which could have been a tricky prospect.

While the Springboks may feel confident about their pool draw, they are in line to play the winner of Pool A in the quarter-finals, which could potentially be a meeting with either the Wallabies or the All Blacks. The Boks would first need to beat third-place in Pools D, E or F in the round of 16 to book that encounter.

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South Africa are aiming for an unprecedented World Cup ‘three-peat’ and are looking to extend their record of World Cups won to five, moving two ahead of the All Blacks. They are currently ranked number one in the world, with the highest-ranked team in their pool being Italy, who are ranked 10th and recently lost to the Boks 32-14 in the Quilter Nations Series.

The draw was conducted by World Rugby chair Brett Robinson, double World Cup-winning All Black Dan Carter, former Wallabies captain James Slipper and Australia Sevens Olympic gold medal winner Alicia Lucas.

RWC 2027 tournament bracket

The six pools each have four teams in them, comprised of teams from the four bands that are based on the World Rankings.

South Africa, the All Blacks, England, Ireland, France and Argentina were in Band 1; Australia, Fiji, Scotland, Italy, Wales and Japan made up Band 2; Georgia, Spain, Uruguay, USA, Chile and Tonga were part of Band 3; Samoa, Portugal, Romania, Hong Kong China, Zimbabwe and Canada completed Band 4.

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

77 Comments

Stuart Lee 2 days ago

Let’s start a revolution. Boks to possibly finish 3rd in Pool B. Rassie to maybe treat the pool stage games as training runs. He could maybe rest his tried and trusted game changers for 2 weeks, then smash Ireland (again) with an entire fresh pack . 3 great things about this possible plan: 1. Sets up final with All Blacks (what every rugby fan outside Ireland, France and England,wants)……second prize would be England. 2. World Rugby would be shown up for the dim witted cretins they are (RWC 2027 format and draw are both farcical…..and….3. Pundits will make a fortune on the betting odds. Hak hul Bokke.

unknown 9 days ago

Ireland get scotland again. This has to be some what rigged

unknown 9 days ago

Brilliant grouping results

Stefan G 10 days ago

As a U.S. fan, it was a great draw! Beat Samoa and Japan (admittedly, not easy but possible) and we advance to the knockout round.

unknown 10 days ago

No. 1 & No. 2 teams facing off in the Quarter Final… I thought having the draw closer to the tournament was meant to stop this kind of thing!

Hammer Head 10 days ago

South Africa can throw the game against Italy and get onto the right side of the quarters, I suppose.

PMcD 10 days ago

I’m not sure there is anyone on that squad that can remember losing a RWC game is there?? They probably couldn’t even if they tried. 🤣🤣🤣

In fact I have just looked at the line up vs the might Cherry Blossoms in 2015 and remarkably 6 of the current squad were playing back then - that’s remarkable!!

Lood de Jager

Peter S d Toit

Eben Etzebeth

Jessie Kriel

Sia Kolisi

Handre Pollard

Lou Cifer 10 days ago

No.1 and No.2 in the ranking face off in the QFs already FFS🙄 they just couldn’t have another Boks vs NZ RWC final again

LC 10 days ago

As a Boks supporter this is not an easy draw. The pool stages and round of 16 will work out fine for us but by the looks of things now we will play NZ/AUS in the quarters and and assuming we win, France in the semi's and will most liekly play England in the final. France basically have a walk to the semi's and Eng will have a walk to the final...

My predictions for what it's worth:

Quarter1: SAvsNZ, SA win

Quarter2: FRAvsFiji, FRA win

Quarter3:ENGvsAUS, ENG win

Quarter4:IREvsARG, ARG win (Cause you never bet on Ireland in a QF )

Semi1: SAvsFRA, SA win

Semi2:ENGvsARG, ENG win

Final: SAvsENG, SAwin (France 3rd)

PMcD 10 days ago

Given the top 8 sides are all capable of beating each other on the day, every game will be tough from the QF onward. It’s actually a fairly well balanced qualifying format given how many good teams are in the mix.

Dave Didley 10 days ago

I think it’s advantage FRA with the draw. They’ll have the experience of NZ & AUS away in the nations cup and SA at home just a year out from the RWC.

Whoever wins the likely SA v NZ quarter will not be going into a semi-final well rested with a clean bill of health. The match will take lumps out of both teams and the eventual winner of it. It could be a win but at what cost scenario.

I wouldn’t be confident of England walking over Argentina in a potential semi-final.

I also think there is every chance that the round of 16 produces at least one big shock.

SK 10 days ago

If Ireland lose to scotland then Ireland will finish second and SA, NZ and France will all be on the same side of the draw providing they all claim first in their pools. The wallabies will definitely not mind losing their clash with NZ in the first round

SB 10 days ago

Looks like there will be a lot of blowouts.

Eric Elwood 10 days ago

Q/F versus NZ, then a S/F versus a rested France? That’s not good.

France will see this as a two match tournament. Historically they have no reason to fear Ireland even in a final.

Dave Didley 10 days ago

Yeah, on paper France only need to be full throttle for 2 games. It’s an armchair ride until the semi’s.

The flipside is that it could make their bellies a little softer not getting fully challenged until then.

The Nations Cup fixtures will be a dry run for plenty of the big 2027 fixtures.

DC 10 days ago

As always, thr ref will get the undeserving SH teams to places they shouldn't be.

Most likely, it will be another English ref. Only question - Pearce or Carley?

Archibald 10 days ago

naaigie! Jumping through the hoops again! Good doggie.

PB 10 days ago

What a numbty comment! Which SH have ever had a free ride? Nit our fault the NH sides are mentally fragile and crack under the slightest of pressure. Maybe they get complacent playing soft NH sides all the time

Henrik 10 days ago

thanks to the refs SH have combined 9 titles to the one the NH got in 2003 (btw, what went wrong there? it was even on Australian soil ….) 😜

Henrik 10 days ago

the road to another final for England on Australian soil seems to be paved ….. where they will likely loose if having to face the ABs or Boks and might win if France can make it through

Eric Elwood 10 days ago

Argentina, Ireland and second in the NZ/Aussie pool might beg to differ.

JD Kiwi 10 days ago

Would have been better off with a 16 team World Cup and a 16 team World Shield. The quality of rugby until the quarters will be subterranean. World Rugby trying to be a Poundland/Two Dollar Shop FIFA but we don't have the teams.

Then in the quarters three of the top four are on the same side of the draw. What an opportunity lost.

What a draw for England. On the easy side with aging Ireland and the Pumas who they totally have the number of.

PMcD 10 days ago

I wouldn’t say that JD. Given any of those top 8 teams can beat each other on the day, every game from the QF onwards will be tough. This could well be the most competitive RWC ever.

However, when you think back to the 2015 RWC, it was probably more memorable for the fact the might Japan took down Goliath (SA) and felt like a more memorable moment than the actual Final, which was an absolutely epic Final (AUS vs NZ).

How could you deny such moments of sporting immortality for the mighty Cherry Blossoms??? It’s what the RWC was created for.

Eric Elwood 10 days ago

NZ might be on that side of the draw…

So the top 4 ranked teams are: SA/NZ/ENG/IRE

As far as I can see 2 of those are on one side and 2 on the other. So 3 of the top 4 ranked teams are not on one side.

Dave Didley 10 days ago

Agree - a round of 16 needs 32 teams in the comp to make it work.

The likely NZ v SA quarter should decide the tournament. If the boks come through that, no one is stopping them. If NZ dump them out that early, it’s because they are back to form.

I don’t see how that pool prepares the boks for a huge quarter final showdown.

Poorfour 10 days ago

It’s an easy pool for the Boks, but a tough knockout draw. NZ in the QFs and France (who should top their pool and get past Scotland in the R16 and a likely QF with Fiji) in the SFs.

Contrast that with England, who likely have Italy, Australia or Japan and then Argentina or Ireland. Not easy matches by any stretch, but a notch down from the All Blacks and Les Bleus

Stuart Lee 2 days ago

Correct, it is an easy pool for the Boks. We can use the pool games as training runs, lose 2, rest the entire first choice forward pack for 2 weeks, qualify as 3rd placed team in Pool B and meet Scotland or Ireland in the round of 16. Thereby missing an early encounter with either of the only other 2 serious contenders….All Blacks and England. Would prefer either in the final.

Dave Didley 10 days ago

I think the wallabies in a home quarters is very tricky. Even they don’t improve it could still only take their best one-off performance of the 4 year cycle.

Benji7 10 days ago

If Scotland beat Ireland in their pool, then Ireland will lose another quarter final, this time vs France! 😂

Dave Didley 10 days ago

Ireland would have France in the round of 16 in that case.

Mind you, if they somehow overcame that it’s quite a nice route to the final after that.

Poorfour 10 days ago

The alternative is a probable QF against Argentina - who have historically been pretty good at winning RWC QFs

E M 10 days ago

Why do Ireland and Scotland get drawn together a lot

Dave Didley 10 days ago

Because Gregor isn’t allowed to retire until he beats us!

liam 10 days ago

Whats the point of the pool games when you can already pick who is getting through in every pool?

Stefan G 10 days ago

True for the top two places, but having a competition for the 3rd place qualifiers will add to the excitement of the final round of pool matches. Virtually every final pool match will have something riding on it, which hasn’t been the case in the past.

PMcD 10 days ago

Avoids the need to have to play another 3 warm up games in advance and let’s the home fans get sufficient tickets for games. It’s not entirely without merit. 🤣

TheGun 10 days ago

its decent, Tonga will fancy their chances vs Wales, and Georgia will have Italy worried, Pool E is anyone’s 2nd place. & Uruguay gave a good go against Scotland last time out, so I'd say it’s a good mix!

Dave Didley 10 days ago

NZ v SA quarter final???

MichaelT4 10 days ago

Looks like it, with Ireland v Argentina as another one?

TheGun 10 days ago

that is wild, but great for England!

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