Introduction
The 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup will be the 11th edition of the world championship for men’s national rugby union teams. It will be held in Australia from 1 October to 13 November 2027.
This will be the first tournament branded as the Men’s Rugby World Cup to promote gender parity across major rugby events.
The event will also expand to 24 teams for the first time, instead of 20 as in all editions since 1999.
To accommodate more nations, the competition format has been redesigned: six pools of four teams each, with the top two in each pool plus the four best third-placed teams advancing to a newly added Round of 16 before quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final.
In total, 52 matches will be played, up from 48 in previous tournaments.
This expansion is also intended to promote rugby’s global reach and increase opportunities for emerging nations.
Qualified Teams
Automatically qualified teams
Twelve teams earned direct qualification by finishing in the top three of their pool at the 2023 Rugby World Cup:
- South Africa
- New Zealand
- England
- Argentina
- France
- Wales
- Fiji
- Ireland
- Australia (hosts)
- Scotland
- Italy
- Japan
Teams qualified through regional competitions
Additional teams have secured qualification through regional pathways:
- Europe: Georgia, Portugal, Romania, and Spain
- Africa: Zimbabwe (Africa Cup 2025 champions)
- Asia: Hong Kong China (Asia Rugby Championship winners)
- Pacific: Canada (via Pacific Nations Cup 2025 qualification route)
Pool Composition (Format)*
The final pool draw will take place on 3 December 2025.
What is already confirmed:
- There will be 6 pools (A–F), 4 teams each
- A total of 16 teams advance to the knockout stage:
- Top 2 from each pool (12 teams)
- Four best 3rd-placed teams (4 teams)
- Knockout stage path:
Round of 16 → Quarter-finals → Semi-finals → Bronze final → Final
This is the first time this structure will be used in a Rugby World Cup.
Host Cities & Venues
Seven host cities across Australia have been selected:
| City | Stadium | Events Hosted |
|---|---|---|
| Perth | Perth Stadium | Opening match & ceremony, pool matches, Round of 16 |
| Sydney | Stadium Australia | Pool matches, Round of 16, quarter-finals, both semi-finals, bronze final & final |
| Melbourne | To be confirmed | Pool matches, Round of 16 |
| Brisbane | Lang Park | Pool matches, Round of 16, quarter-finals |
| Adelaide | Adelaide Oval | Pool matches only |
| Newcastle | Newcastle International Sports Centre | Pool matches only |
| Townsville | North Queensland Stadium | Pool matches on |
