The draw for the 2027 Rugby World Cup is scheduled for January 2026, providing a unique scenario with two full years of international competition yet to unfold.
This early draw will use the world rankings as of the end of November 2025 to determine the seeding of participating teams.
The 24 participating teams will be divided into six pools of four teams each. Notably, this draw will take place before the regional qualifiers conclude, resulting in a dual world approach.
On one side, the 12 automatic qualifiers for the 2023 Rugby World Cup are confirmed by name. Meanwhile, regional qualifiers are represented as Africa 1, Europe 1, Europe 2, etc.
The 2027 Rugby World Cup is scheduled to be held in Australia, making it the 11th Men’s Rugby World Cup and the third to be held in Australia. The country previously co-hosted the first Rugby World Cup with New Zealand in 1987, and became the sole host in 2003.
With the current world rankings in mind, let’s delve into how the 2027 Rugby World Cup will take shape through rugby centres.
2027 Rugby World Cup draw (current standings)
Pool A
- South Africa
- Australia
- Portugal
- Spain
pool B
