Overview

• Australia 2027 will run from October 1 to November 13 across seven host cities, opening in Perth and concluding with the final at Stadium Australia in Sydney.
• The expanded tournament will feature six groups of four, with the top two in each group plus the four best third‑placed teams advancing to a first‑ever round of 16.
• Four pots of six teams will be formed using the World Rugby rankings after the November international window to determine the group draw.
• Twenty‑three teams have qualified, and the last place will be decided at a Final Qualification Tournament in Dubai from November 8–18 with Samoa, Belgium, Namibia and a South American team emerging from a Brazil–Paraguay playoff.
• The draw will air on Channel Nine in Australia, international broadcasters and RugbyPass TV, with a closed ticket presale slated for February 2026 and a general application window in May 2026; Argentina sits sixth in the rankings and has named seven changes to face South Africa at Twickenham.