2027 Rugby World Cup: Expanded Format and New Thrills
The 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup, which promises to be a historic event, will introduce a round of 16 for the first time. The tournament, which will last for six weeks, will begin on October 1, 2027, and culminate on November 13. A total of 24 nations will compete in the championship, an increase from the 20 that participated in previous editions. The group stage will be made up of six groups of four teams each. The top two teams from each group, along with the four best third-place teams, will advance to the knockout stage. The inclusion of the round of 16 represents a significant change, as in previous World Cups, the quarter-finals marked the beginning of the knockout phase. The tournament draw will take place on December 3rd, where the 24 nations will get to know their group opponents.
Cities like Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth, Sydney, and Townsville will host the World Cup matches. Sydney will host the semi-finals and the final. Perth’s Optus Stadium, with a capacity of 60,000 spectators, will be the opening venue, with the Wallabies’ opponent to be determined after the draw on December 3rd. Chile became the 23rd nation to secure its place after defeating Samoa 31-12 in the South America/Pacific play-off on Saturday. The last spot, number 24, will be defined in the Final Qualification Tournament, which will be held in Dubai from November 8 to 18. South Africa, winner of the last two World Cups, will face competition from teams like New Zealand, Ireland, England, France, Argentina, and Australia. The Wallabies have shown improvement under coach Joe Schmidt, who will leave his position after Saturday’s match against the All Blacks in Perth. Les Kiss has been named as his replacement.“This is a huge step for rugby and a reflection of the global growth of the game.”
Brett Robinson, World Rugby Chairman
