Groups Defined for the 2027 Rugby World Cup!
The excitement of the 2027 Rugby World Cup already has a schedule! The largest tournament in the history of the World Cup will expand, presenting a record of 54 matches.
The draw, held in Sydney, Australia, on Wednesday, divided the 24 teams into six groups of four.
The most notable clashes in the group stage include Australia and New Zealand in Group A, Fiji and Argentina in Group C, and Ireland and Scotland in Group D.
Teams aspiring to lift the Webb Ellis Cup will have to play seven matches, although the tournament will have one less match in the group stage and an extra match in the knockout stage.This is how the groups were defined:
Group A
Australia, as the host, will face its eternal rival, the All Blacks, in the group stage. The match between these two teams will be the star match of the group stage. Although New Zealand is favored to lead the group, the Wallabies, playing at home, promise to put up a fight.Group B
South Africa starts as the clear favorite, but the duel between Italy and Georgia for second place promises to be exciting. The Boks have the depth needed to rotate two different teams during the group stage. The presence of Italy, Georgia, and Romania in the same group ensures exciting matches. Italy will seek to join the Boks in the quarterfinals, although Romania and Georgia will seek to surprise.Group C
Argentina should lead this group, but Fiji is a rival to be reckoned with. Canada and Spain will also seek to give their best. Fiji always finds a way to arrive in optimal conditions at the World Cups and has the ability to beat almost any team if they play at their maximum level. Argentina and Fiji are expected to advance, and the winner of this group will face one of the two best third-placed teams.Group D
Ireland and Scotland face each other again, as happened in the last two World Cups. Ireland is Scotland’s “bogey team”, so there will be no smiles in Gregor Townsend’s camp. Uruguay and Portugal will seek to surprise, but Ireland and Scotland are expected to compete for first place.Group E
France is on the same side of the bracket as the All Blacks and the Springboks, so it could face one of them in the semi-finals. France should finish at the top of this group, but Japan is improving every month under the direction of Eddie Jones. Samoa is also a team to be reckoned with.Group F
England should win this group, but will reach the knockout stages already battle-hardened. By 2027, Wales will surely have improved under Steve Tandy, while Tonga and Zimbabwe could also cause problems. England is expected to win three out of three, and for Wales to join them in the knockout stages. If England wins the group, they will avoid another group winner until the semi-finals, but are likely to face New Zealand or Australia in the quarter-finals.
