All you need to know

Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 will kick-off in October and fans are already excited about the clashes that have been confirmed.

The draw took place in December and it revealed old rivals will face each other. New Zealand and hosts Australia are in the same pool, while England and Wales will too play one another in the early stages of the competition.

Read more: Could we see biggest winning margin at 2026 Rugby World Cup?

The All Blacks, England and defending champions South Africa are currently among the favourites to lift the trophy.

The Springboks are back-to-back winners and so if a different nation wins in 2027 they will be the first that is not South Africa since 2015, when New Zealand won, to lift the trophy. Also among those to have hopes of toppling South Africa’s dominance are hosts Australia and the likes of France.

Read more: Who has the best route to RWC final?

Ireland may not have as big of a prowess as they did leading up to the last Rugby World Cup but they will be aiming to banish their quarter-final demons. The men’s team have never made it past the last eight with their most recent loss at that stage coming at the hands of New Zealand in 2023.

While the results are still up in the air, what is confirmed is the new format and supporters will be treated to more games in this edition of the tournament. That is because the competition has expanded and the competition will have a round of 16 for the first time.

This article will tell you everything you need to know about the men’s Rugby World Cup 2027, including fixtures, a new format explainer, squads and details of the championship’s previous winners.

Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027: key information

Dates: October 1 – November 13 2027

Participating teams: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, England, Fiji, France, Georgia, Hong Kong China, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Portugal, Romania, Samoa, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Tonga, Uruguay, USA, Wales, Zimbabwe

UK TV coverage: TBC

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Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027: The Pools

This is how the 24 teams in the 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup will line up:

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

Pool F

• England
• Wales
• Tonga
• Zimbabwe

Read more: RWC draw

Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027: Fixtures

Friday 1 October

• Australia v Hong Kong China
  Perth Stadium
  Kick-off: 11.45am BST/6.45pm AEDT

Saturday 2 October

• Wales v Zimbabwe
  Adelaide Oval
  Kick-off: 3.45am BST/12.15pm AEDT
• New Zealand v Chile
  Perth Stadium
  Kick-off: 6.15am BST/1.15pm AEDT
• France v USA
  Docklands Stadium
  Kick-off: 8.45am BST/5.45pm AEDT
• England v Tonga
  Brisbane Stadium
  Kick-off: 11.15am BST/8.15pm AEDT

Sunday 3 October

• Japan v Samoa
  Newcastle Stadium
  Kick-off: 2.15am BST/12.15pm AEDT
• South Africa v Italy
  Adelaide Oval
  Kick-off: 4.45am BST/2.15pm AEDT
• Scotland v Uruguay
  Docklands Stadium
  Kick-off: 7.15am BST/5.15pm AEDT
• Georgia v Romania
  North Queensland Stadium
  Kick-off: 11.15am BST/20.15pm AEDT

Monday 4 October

• Fiji v Spain
  Newcastle Stadium
  Kick-off: 4.15am BST/2.15pm AEDT
• Ireland v Portugal
  Sydney Football Stadium
  Kick-off: 7.15am BST/5.15pm AEDT
• Argentina v Canada
  Brisbane Stadium
  Kick-off:9.45am BST/6.45pm AEDT

Friday 8 October

• Wales v Tonga
  Docklands Stadium
  Kick-off: 8.15am BST/6.15pm AEDT
• England v Zimbabwe
  Adelaide Oval
  Kick-off: 10.45am BST/8.15pm AEDT

Saturday 9 October

• USA v Samoa
  Perth Stadium
  Kick-off: 5.15am BST/12.15pm AEDT
• New Zealand v Australia
  Stadium Australia
  Kick-off: 7.10am BST/5.10pm AEDT
• France v Japan
  Brisbane Stadium
  Kick-off: 9.45am BST/6.45pm AEDT
• Chile v Hong Kong China
  North Queensland Stadium
  Kick-off:11.15am BST/ 8.15pm AEDT

Sunday 10 October

• Fiji v Canada
  Adelaide Oval
  Kick-off: 2.45am BST/12.15pm AEDT
• Argentina v Spain
  Docklands Stadium
  Kick-off: 5.15am BST/3.15pm AEDT
• South Africa v Georgia
  Brisbane Stadium
  Kick-off:7.45am BST/4.45pm AEDT
• Ireland v Scotland
  Perth Stadium
  Kick-off: 10.45am BST/5.45pm AEDT

Monday 11 October

• Uruguay v Portugal
  Newcastle Stadium
  Kick-off: 7.15am BST/5.15pm AEDT
• Italy v Romania
  Sydney Football Stadium
  Kick-off:9.45pm BST/7.45pm AEDT

Friday 15 October

• New Zealand v Hong Kong China
  Docklands Stadium
  Kick-off: 7.15am BST/5.15pm AEDT
• Japan v USA
  Adelaide Oval
  Kick-off: 10.30am BST/8pm AEDT
• Tonga v Zimbabwe
  North Queensland Stadium
  Kick-off: 11.15am BST/8.15pm AEDT

Saturday 16 October

• Argentina v Fiji
  Adelaide Oval
  Kick-off: 3.45am BST/1.15pm AEDT
• Australia v Chile
  Brisbane Stadium
  Kick-off: 6.10am BST/3.10pm AEDT
• England v Wales
  Stadium Australia
  Kick-off: 9.45am BST/7.45pm AEDT
• Spain v Canada
  North Queensland Stadium
  Kick-off: 11.15am BST/8.15pm AEDT

Sunday 17 October

• Italy v Georgia
  Newcastle Stadium
  Kick-off: 2.15am BST/12.15pm AEDT
• Ireland v Uruguay
  Docklands Stadium
  Kick-off: 4.45am BST/ 2.45pm AEDT
• Scotland v Portugal
  Brisbane Stadium
  Kick-off: 7.15am BST /4.15pm AEDT
• France v Samoa
  Sydney Football Stadium
  Kick-off: 9.45am BST/7.45pm AEDT
• South Africa v Romania
  Perth Stadium
  Kick-off: 12.15pm BST/7.15am AEDT

Read more: How Henry Slade got over his World Cup axing

Round of 16

Saturday 23 October

• Pool C runner-up v Pool F runner-up
  Sydney Football Stadium
  Kick-off: 4.15am BST/2.15pm AEDT
• Pool A winner v Pool C/E/F best third 
  Brisbane Stadium
  Kick-off: 6.45am BST/3.45pm AEDT
• Pool E winner v Pool D runner-up
  Docklands Stadium
  Kick-off:9.15am BST/7.15pm AEDT
• Pool B winner v Pool D/E/F best third
  Perth Stadium
  Kick-off:11.45am BST/6.45pm AEDT

Sunday 24 October

• Pool C winner v Pool A/E/F best third
  Sydney Football Stadium
  Kick-off: 4.15am BST/2.15pm AEDT
• Pool D winner v Pool B/E/F best third
  Docklands Stadium
  Kick-off: 6.45am BST/3.45pm AEDT
• Pool A runner-up v Pool E runner-up
  Brisbane Stadium
  Kick-off:9.15am BST/7.15pm AEDT
• Pool F winner v Pool B runner-up
  Perth Stadium
  Kick-off:11.45am BST/6.45pm AEDT

Quarter-finals

Saturday 31 October

• Winner R16 (2) v Winner R16 (4)
  Stadium Australia
  Kick-off: 6.45am BST/3.45pm AEDT
• Winner R16 (1) v Winner R16 (3)
  Brisbane Stadium
  Kick-off:9.45am BST/6.45pm AEDT

Sunday 1 November

• Winner R16 (5) v Winner R16 (6)
  Brisbane Stadium
  Kick-off:6am BST/4pm AEDT
• Winner R16 (7) v Winner R16 (8)
  Stadium Australia
  Kick-off:9am BST/8pm AEDT

Semi-finals

Friday 5 November

• Winner QF1 v Winner QF2
  Stadium Australia
  Kick-off:9am BST/8pm AEDT

Saturday 6 November

• Winner QF3 v Winner QF4
  Kick-off:9am BST/8pm AEDT

Bronze final

Friday 12 November

• Runner-up SF1 v Runner-up SF2
  Stadium Australia
  Kick-off:8.45am BST/7.45pm AEDT

Final

Saturday 13 November

• Winner SF1 v Winner SF2
  Stadium Australia
  Kick-off:9am BST/8pm AEDT

Read more: How to watch Six Nations

Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027: All 24 squads for 2027 tournament

This will be updated when the squads are announced.

The new format

Yes, the previous seven World Cups have featured 20 teams but the 2027 tournament (the 11th edition of the competition) has expanded the field to include 24. That also requires a change of format.

Whereas the old 20-team system featured four pools of five teams, the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 will have six pools of four teams – just like football’s European Championship.

In the new-look competition, 16 teams will make it through the pool stages, rather than the eight who survived in the original format. This necessitates an additional round of 16.

The route to lifting the William Webb Ellis Cup will now look like this:

• 3 pool matches
• Round of 16 match
• Quarter-final
• Semi-final
• Final

Although there’s a whole extra round of matches, the two teams that reach the final will still feature in seven matches. This is because each team will play one game fewer in the pool stages.

But while the total number of matches in the tournament increases from 48 to 52, the duration of the tournament will actually decrease. This is because there’s no longer any need for teams to have a “fallow” week during the pool stages, an inevitable consequence of five-team pools. So, even with the mandatory minimum of five rest days between games, this World Cup will be a whole week shorter than its predecessor at just 43 days.

Read more:RWC previous winners

What do teams need to do to qualify for the round of 16?

This change makes the competition less elegant than the old format, in which the top two teams from each pool made it through to the knockouts.

Although the pool winners and runners-up will still qualify for the round of 16 automatically, there’s now room for four more places in the knockout stages. These will be filled by the four best third-placed teams, determined by (in this order) competition points, points difference and try difference.

The result is a rather less efficient way of eliminating teams, seeing as 36 games will be played in order to send just eight teams home (a third of the field), compared to the 40 matches that removed 12 sides (three fifths of the sides) in the old days.

This also means less pool game jeopardy for the leading teams, which may make the early stages of the competition less exciting.

Read more: RWC format

Men’s Rugby World Cup: Previous winners

1987 – New Zealand

1991 – Australia

1995 – South Africa

1999 – Australia

2003 – England

2007 – South Africa

2011 – New Zealand

2015 – New Zealand

2019 – South Africa

2023 – South Africa

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