The Springboks have been drawn with Italy, Georgia, and Romania for the pool stages of the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia when they will go on the hunt for an unprecedented third consecutive title under the leadership of Rassie Erasmus.
On the surface, the Springboks’ draw looks favourable as they’d be overwhelming favourites to finish top of Pool B, while then facing a third-place finisher from either Pool C, E or F in the Round of 16 should offer no issues.
However, they could then be set for a challenging quarter-final against rivals New Zealand, a possible semi-final against France and potentially a final against England or Ireland.
Rassie Erasmus comments after World Cup draw
SA Rugby are set to host a full press conference on Thursday with Erasmus and Siya Kolisi, but when initially reacting to the draw the Springbok coach said he was satisfied with how it turned out as they continue to put the building blocks in place to stake a claim for a possible third RWC title in a row.
“We are pleased with the pool we have been drawn in, but this is a World Cup, and every team will go out there with great passion and do their utmost to represent their nations with pride,” said Erasmus.
“There have been surprises in the tournament before, so we’ll need to be up mentally and physically for every match.”
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.
Erasmus added: “Italy may be ranked 10th in the world, but they showed us what they are capable of when they hit their straps earlier this season, even though the scorelines may not have reflected that.
“Georgia and Romania are also extremely physical and passionate teams, and we’ve faced them before, so we know how tough they can be on the day if we give them space and opportunities to play to their potential.”
Hosts Australia have been drawn in Pool A with New Zealand, Chile, and Hong Kong China; while Pool C features Argentina, Fiji, Spain, and Canada.
Ireland have been drawn in Pool D with Scotland, Uruguay and Portugal; Pool E will see France, Japan, 2031 RWC hosts the USA, and Samoa being pitted against one another’ while England, Wales, Tonga, and Zimbabwe will battle it out in Pool F.
With the number of participating teams increasing from 20 to 24 and 52 matches playing out in the global extravaganza, the tournament will now feature six pools as opposed to four, with the winners of Pool A, B, C, and D taking on the four best third-placed teams, while the winners of Pool E and F will face the runners-up from Pool B and D.
The runners-up in Pool A and C, in turn, will meet the second-placed teams from Pool E and F in the Round of 16.
The draw was hosted in Australia on Wednesday and was based on the world rankings for the 2025 season, which determined the placement of the 24 teams into four bands of six for the draw.
The global tournament will be hosted from 1 October to 13 November 2027 across seven cities in Australia – Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Newcastle, Sydney, and Townsville – with the matchday schedule set to be announced on Tuesday, 3 February 2026.
Rugby fans will have an opportunity to secure seats during an exclusive two-week presale window starting on 18 February 2026.
For more news and information, including how to access tickets in the presale and secure your tickets, visit rugbyworldcup.com/2027.
RWC Pools:
A: New Zealand, Australia, Chile, Hong Kong China
B: South Africa, Italy, Georgia, Romania
C: Argentina, Fiji, Spain, Canada
D: Ireland, Scotland, Uruguay, Portugal
E: France, Japan, USA, Samoa
F: England, Wales, Tonga, Zimbabwe
