RugbyRebels

The draw for the World Cup is tomorrow. It starts in Sydney at 8pm local time. I reckon that’s 9am here. It’s on World Rugby’s YouTube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/live/iIrMk9I6K4 ... j002KgUxcI

These are the bands. There are six groups of four teams and the top two plus four best third place teams qualify for the first knockout round.

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

I reckon our best group would be Argentina, anyone except Georgia and anyone except Samoa. Worst would be South Africa, Georgia and Samoa. I’d still be confident of qualifying but qualifying as one of the best third place teams would be embarrassing. Actually I’d expect us to comfortably beat all of the band 3 and band 4 teams.

The format is described here.

https://www.rugbyworldcup.com/2027/en/n ... -and-dates

If we assume we don’t win our group but are 2nd, we’d be best placed in one of groups A, C, E or F since the runners up in those groups play one of the other runner ups.

It’s a year later than the last tournament but they’re still making the draw almost two years before the tournament when the football World Cup (a vastly larger and more complex tournament) is holding its draw two days later for a tournament in six months time.

Pool A: Australia (hosts), Hong Kong China, Chile, New Zealand
Pool B: Romania, Georgia, Italy, South Africa
Pool C: Canada, Spain, Fiji, Argentina
Pool D: Portugal, Uruguay, Scotland, Ireland
Pool E: Samoa, USA, Japan, France
Pool F: Zimbabwe, Tonga, Wales, England

Pool D. We’ll come 2nd, play France in the last 16 then go home.

BaldiePete wrote: ↑Wed Dec 03, 2025 9:35 am Pool D. We’ll come 2nd, play France in the last 16 then go home.

We'll top the group and our round of 16 oppo will be Samoa. Then we'll have a QF against Arg and right the wrong of the autumn. A SF against England to send them home and a Final against SA.

Shame we are in one of the two pools where we will have to play a group winner if we come second.

I can't say the draw for the groups looks that exciting. Despite our terrible record against Ireland, our pool is the only one with real doubt over the group winner (maybe with the exception if the Fiji Argentina one).

Extended knockouts should be fun though - pros and cons.

Cameo wrote: ↑Wed Dec 03, 2025 10:15 am Shame we are in one of the two pools where we will have to play a group winner if we come second.

its a shame for anyone in those 2 pools. A total nonsense of a set up.