The hugely controversial change that’s coming to next year’s Rugby World Cup in Australia
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Change.
Next year’s Rugby World Cup in Australia will feature 24 teams (previously 20) for the first time, with fewer pool games for each country and an extra knockout round, in a move that has been met with a mixed response.
The familiar four pools of five will be replaced by six pools of four, meaning every team will play three pool matches instead of four. A round of 16 will also be introduced, with the top two teams in each pool progressing alongside the four best third-placed sides.
That means 16 of the 24 countries will reach the knockout stages, compared with eight of 20 under the previous format. The total number of pool matches will fall from 40 to 36.
The expansion raises questions about the strength of the field and the potential for more one-sided games. Debutants Hong Kong will face New Zealand and Australia, while Zimbabwe return for the first time since 1991 in a pool containing England and Wales — significant tests of whether rugby’s emerging nations can compete with its established powers.
It also leaves us with fewer standout games in the pool stages of the competition.
The finalists will still play seven games, but lifting the trophy will now require four consecutive knockout victories.
Overall, the tournament will increase from 48 matches to 52, running from October 1 to November 13, 2027.
Rugby World Cup 2027 pools
| Pool | Teams |
|---|---|
| A | New Zealand, Australia, Chile, Hong Kong |
| B | South Africa, Italy, Georgia, Romania |
| C | Argentina, Fiji, Spain, Canada |
| D | Ireland, Scotland, Uruguay, Portugal |
| E | France, Japan, USA, Samoa |
| F | England, Wales, Tonga, Zimbabwe |
Ireland will face Scotland, Uruguay and Portugal, while hosts Australia have been drawn alongside New Zealand.
Standout pool games
Among the biggest fixtures in the pool stage are:
- South Africa v Italy — October 3, Adelaide.
- New Zealand v Australia — October 9, Sydney.
- France v Japan — October 9, Brisbane.
- Ireland v Scotland — October 10, Perth.
- Argentina v Fiji — October 16, Adelaide.
- England v Wales — October 16, Sydney.
- Italy v Georgia — October 17, Newcastle.
How the round of 16 works
The winners of Pools A, B, C and D will face qualifying third-placed teams.
The winners of Pools E and F will face the runners-up from Pools D and B respectively, with the remaining runners-up paired against each other.
The opponents for the four pool winners facing third-placed sides will depend on which pools supply those qualifiers.
| Round of 16 | Match-up |
|---|---|
| 1 | Pool C runner-up v Pool F runner-up |
| 2 | Pool A winner v third-place qualifier from C, E or F |
| 3 | Pool E winner v Pool D runner-up |
| 4 | Pool B winner v third-place qualifier from D, E or F |
| 5 | Pool C winner v third-place qualifier from A, E or F |
| 6 | Pool D winner v third-place qualifier from B, E or F |
| 7 | Pool A runner-up v Pool E runner-up |
| 8 | Pool F winner v Pool B runner-up |
Matches 1–4 feed into one half of the knockout draw, with matches 5–8 feeding into the other.
Ireland’s potential route
Winning Pool D would give Ireland a last-16 meeting with a third-placed qualifier from Pool B, E or F.
A potential quarter-final against Argentina would follow if the Pumas win Pool C and both teams come through the last 16.
Ireland would also be in the opposite half of the draw to the winners of New Zealand’s and South Africa’s pools.
Finishing second would mean facing the Pool E winners — potentially France — in the round of 16, underlining the importance of that pool meeting with Scotland.
Potential knockout draw
For the following scenario, assume New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Ireland, France and England win their pools, with Australia, Italy, Fiji, Scotland, Japan and Wales finishing second.
The two halves would then look like this:
Potential first half
New Zealand, South Africa, France, Scotland, Fiji and Wales, plus two third-placed qualifiers.
That would produce last-16 meetings between France and Scotland and Fiji and Wales, with New Zealand and South Africa each facing a third-placed team.
If those pool winners advance, New Zealand v South Africa would be a quarter-final, while France could face Fiji or Wales.
Potential second half
Ireland, Argentina, England, Australia, Italy and Japan, plus two third-placed qualifiers.
The last 16 would include Australia v Japan and England v Italy, with Ireland and Argentina each facing a third-placed team.
If Ireland, Argentina, England and Australia all advance, the quarter-finals in this half would be Ireland v Argentina and England v Australia.
These are possible routes through the confirmed bracket, rather than confirmed fixtures. The pool results will decide which half each team enters and who they face.
