Rugby World Cup guide: Ireland set to find out opponents for 2027 showpiece

It will be an expanded tournament from 20 to 24 teams, divided into six pools of four nations each, with the top two from each pool plus the four best third-placed teams progressing to a new round of 16.

Tue, 02 Dec, 2025 - 18:22

Simon Lewis

With two years to go to the Men’s Rugby World Cup in Australia, Ireland are set to learn just who they will be facing Down Under at Wednesday morning’s pool draw in Sydney (from 9am Irish time).

Streaming live on RugbyPass TV and the World Rugby YouTube channel, supporters will get an early taste of what’s to come when Ireland make their latest bid to go beyond the quarter-finals for the first time in what will be the tournament’s 40-year history by the time it kicks off on October 1, 2027.

The field is made up of 12 teams, including Ireland, who have directly qualified based on their finishes at the last World Cup in France, 2023, plus 12 more who qualified this year.

Wednesday’s draw sees those 24 teams split into four pots based on their World Rugby Rankings on December 1, following last month’s autumn internationals and the final rounds of qualifying.

Though Ireland did not have the best of Novembers, losing to both New Zealand and South Africa either side of wins over Japan and Australia, Andy Farrell’s side have maintained their top seeding in Band 1, albeit having dropped a spot in the rankings to number four in the world.

It means the Irish will avoid their fellow top seeds, although the banding still throws up some intriguing potential scenarios with a pool opponent being drawn from each of the other bands.

Band 1: South Africa, New Zealand, England, Ireland, France, Argentina

Band 2: Australia, Fiji, Scotland, Italy, Wales, Japan

Band 3: Georgia, Uruguay, Spain, USA, Chile, Tonga

Band 4: Samoa, Portugal, Romania, Hong Kong China, Zimbabwe, Canada.

There is the possibility, for instance, of Ireland being drawn in an ultra physical pool alongside a Pacific Islands trio of Fiji, Tonga and Samoa, or a sense of déjà vu were Caelan Doris’s men to be pitted against familiar World Cup foes Scotland, Georgia and Romania, who they have faced at four different tournaments.

The Fijians in Band 2 would be first-time World Cup opponents for the Irish, as would Chile, Portugal, Spain and Uruguay.

The procedure will start with teams drawn randomly from Band 4 in ascending order of bands, with host nation Australia the only team with a pre-determined group, Pool A, as they will be playing the opening match in Perth on October 1, 2027.

Is the draw potentially unfair to some pool winners in the last 16?

There are a few wider intricacies to consider. The winners of pools A, B, C and D will meet a third-place team in the round of 16, while the winners of pools E and F will play a side that finished second in their pool.

“While on the surface that may seem slightly unfair, that imbalance is addressed in the next round,” World Rugby states. “The team that wins Pool A will face a third-place team in the Round of 16, but in the quarter-finals could potentially meet the winner of Pool B if that team wins their round of 16 match.”

The winners of Pool E and Pool F will, in theory, have a harder task in the last 16, but cannot face a pool winner until the semi-finals.

Will the draw change the favourites to win the World Cup?

The dominant form of South Africa, winners of the past two men’s tournaments, makes them strongly fancied to win a third straight title although Borthwick’s England, if they continue on an upward curve, will be confident of a deep run.

Much will change between now and 2027 but the favourites can start planning in earnest once the draw is made.

Additional reporting: Guardian