The 2027 Rugby World Cup draw has been completed. The tournament, which will take place in Australia between October 1st and November 13th 2027, will be the biggest edition we have seen of the Rugby World Cup, with a record 24 nations participating for Rugby Union’s most prestigious title. Before we dive into what fans should look out for in this tournament now we know who is playing who in the pool stages, here are all the pools and their respective teams.
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
Ireland to finally break the quarter-final curse?
Ireland are a historically great rugby nation, with 16 Six Nations titles (including when the tournament was known as the Home Nations and Five Nations) to prove it. Since 2009, though, they have taken a step up into the upper tier of the best teams in the world. From 2009 onwards, they have won six Six Nations titles, more than any other team in that period, as well as three Grand Slams, also more than any other team. Given those stats, it would not be amiss to say that, judging on Six Nations performances alone, Ireland have been the most dominant Northern Hemisphere team over the last decade and a half. However, the men in green have never quite managed it at a World Cup, famously never making a quarter-final.
Some years Ireland have underperformed at the World Cup. Others, they have been unlucky, such as in 2023. Heading into the tournament as the number one team in the world, Ireland defeated South Africa, the eventual champions, in the pool stage, but were given a monstrous quarter-final match against New Zealand, the fourth ranked team in the world. Ireland’s 28-24 defeat cost them a semi-final berth, where they would have faced an Argentina side many would fancy them to beat.
Despite the heartbreak of 2023, in a tournament that many thought was theirs, Ireland have their best opportunity yet to reach the semi-finals in 2027. The next best team in Ireland’s group is Scotland, and while the Scots are certainly no push over, Andy Farrell’s men will fancy their chances given the last time Scotland beat Ireland was in February 2017, with Ireland having won their last 11 meetings, including a match at each of the last two World Cups. Of course, that statistic could change between now and then, but Irish fans will fancy themselves to top the group when their biggest competitor is a team they have such success against.
First place in the pool would secure Ireland a Round of 16 matchup against a third place team from Pools B, E or F. Then, should they win that matchup where they will be heavily favoured, Ireland will likely face Argentina, providing Los Pumas hold up their end of the bargain and top their group with Fiji as their biggest competitor. While all Ireland fans will remember Argentina’s victory over them n Cardiff at the quarter-final stage of the 2015 World Cup, given that Ireland have have defeated the South American side in all four meetings since then, they should fancy their chances to end their quarter-final curse.
Clash Of The Tournament In The Quarter-Finals?
South Africa defeated New Zealand in the 2023 World Cup final to win a record fourth title, with the All Blacks holding three titles themselves. This year, though, the two teams could very well meet much earlier in the tournament.
The 2023 quarter-finals saw the top ranked team in the world, Ireland, face the fourth ranked team in the world, New Zealand, as well as the second ranked team in the world, South Africa, face the third ranked team in the world, France. In 2027, if New Zealand and South Africa both top their groups and both teams then defeat their opponents in the Round of 16 who will be third place teams, then the two biggest Rugby nations in the world will meet in the quarter-finals. At the time of the draw, South Africa sit number one in the world, with New Zealand ranked number two. Of course, those rankings could change by the time these two teams potentially meet with a semi-final spot on the line in two years time, but what won’t change is the history between the sides.
South Africa will enter the 2027 tournament as the back-to-back world champions, with New Zealand winning the previous two editions of the tournament, in 2015 and 2011. In fact, the last time either of these teams didn’t win the World Cup was in 2003 when England were victorious as South Africa also lifted the Webb Ellis Cup in 2007, their second title at the time. The Springboks’ two wins in the last two editions of the tournament have given them bragging rights as, despite Rugby being automatically associated to the All Blacks in most nations around the world, South Africa now have four world titles to New Zealand’s three.
If the two sides were to meet in two years time, it would be the sixth meeting between the teams on Rugby’s biggest stage. While the All Blacks have won the matchup three out of the five times, South Africa’s two World Cup wins against their biggest rivals have both come in the final, in 2023, and in 1995, with one of New Zealand’s wins not even knocking the Springboks out given it was a pool stage matchup.
Rugby’s greatest rivalry should really be played at a later stage but even if it does take place in the final eight, it will certainly be another classic. But there is always the possibility that one team doesn’t top their pool, possibly doing so intentionally to avoid the other so early on. Both teams failed to top their group in 2023 but still met in the final. It seems unlikely that South Africa would give away the group to Italy, even if they put out a weakened side. For the All Blacks, should they lose to Australia and finish second in their pool, they would likely face Japan in the Round of 16 before a matchup with one of England or Wales in the quarter-finals, with Ireland or Argentina likely waiting in the semi-finals. Would that run be worth it to avoid facing the four time world champions in an early stage? That’s up to them to decide.
The Year of The Northern Hemisphere?
The Rugby World Cup has been dominated by the Southern Hemisphere. In the 10 editions of the tournament, just one has been won by a Northern Hemisphere team, England in 2003. However, with this draw there is a real chance that the Webb Ellis cup go north of the equator for just the second time.
As already mentioned, if New Zealand and South Africa both win their pools, they will face each other in the quarter-finals. The winner of that matchup could well face France in the semi-finals. On the other side of the draw, we have already discussed the prospect of Ireland reaching the semi-finals. In the other quarter-final, Australia will face England if we go by current rankings. If we continue to use the logic of current rankings, the other semi-final would be Ireland versus England, although Steve Borthwick’s men would need to defeat the Wallabies in their own backyard to reach that stage, something that is no easy task no matter Australia’s form.
With two potential semi-finals of New Zealand/South Africa against France, as well as Ireland facing England, three of the four teams left in the tournament would belong to the Northern Hemisphere for the first time ever. Of course, if the principle of using current world rankings to determine the tournament is used throughout predicting the competition, South Africa would emerge victorious. However, while it is always a dangerous game basing the competition on seeding, especially two years out, the two biggest nations potentially being on one side of the draw gives the northern hemisphere more than a fighting chance in 2027, especially given the favourability of the potential runs for England and Ireland.
It’s always hard to predict any tournament, yet alone one that is two years away. However, the real work starts now for the nations competing in Australia in two years time. Game plans will start for not just the group matches, but potential knockout games. The 2027 World Cup will be the biggest rugby fans have seen, let’s hope it lives up to the hype, and we will see how these three storylines will unfold.