The Springboks have been drawn in Pool B for Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia, where Rassie Erasmus and his team will aim for an unprecedented third consecutive title.
The draw was done in Australia on Wednesday morning (SA time), with the 24 participating teams split into four bands according to their world rankings, with the teams randomly selected into the six pools.
The Springboks will face Italy, Georgia and Romania in pool play at the tournament, which will be played at seven different venues across Australia from 1 October to 13 November 2027.
The Boks have faced all three their pool opponents in Rugby World Cups before – Romania in 1995 and 1999, Georgia in 2003, and Italy in 2019.
Meanwhile, New Zealand have drawn hosts Australia in Pool A of the 2027 Rugby World Cup – the first time the trans-Tasman rivals will face off in the pool stage of the tournament.
The other two teams in the pool are Chile and Hong Kong China, the latter nation having qualified for their first World Cup.
WHAT DRAW MEANS FOR SPRINGBOKS IN TERMS OF PLAYOFF OPPONENTS
Consequently, if the All Blacks and Springboks both top their respective groups, they will likely meet in the quarter-finals, where one will be eliminated and the other progress to the semi-finals.
WHEN IS THE NEXT RUGBY WORLD CUP ANNOUNCEMENT?
With the pools now confirmed, teams and fans can begin planning their 2027 journey to Australia. The next major milestone will be the announcement of the match schedule on Tuesday, 3 February 2026.
Rugby fans will then have an opportunity to secure seats during an exclusive two-week presale window starting on 18 February 2026 at 12h00 (AEDT). For more news and information, including how to access tickets in the presale and secure your tickets, visit rugbyworldcup.com/2027.
