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.

Fixture list is out. We have Uruguay first, then Ireland, then Portugal, all on consecutive Sundays.

All fine re player welfare. I would think pick our top team for the first two and then see how everyone is.

The knockouts will be exciting, but it'll be a slow burn. Looking at the schedule, some highlights from the first couple of weeks:

- Japan v Samoa on the first Sunday - the first match with any real uncertainty re the winner.

- Wales v Tonga the following week - depending how these two are shaping up.

- New Zealand v Australia and Scotland v Ireland that second weekend

- Argentina v Fiji and Italy v Georgia on the third weekend.

I suppose it is always the way, but I'd be confident predicting the winner of over 90% of the group stage games.

Cameo wrote: ↑Mon Feb 02, 2026 10:46 pm Fixture list is out. We have Uruguay first, then Ireland, then Portugal, all on consecutive Sundays.

All fine re player welfare. I would think pick our top team for the first two and then see how everyone is.

Sunday 3rd October v Uruguay in Melbourne. Kick off 7.15am BST
Sunday 10th October v Ireland in Perth. Kick off 10.45am BST
Sunday 17th October v Portugal in Brisbane. Kick off 7.15am BST.

Lots of travelling required. Melbourne to Perth is about 1700 miles as the crow flies, Perth to Brisbane is about 2300 miles.

Ticket prices are also out.

The matches against Uruguay and Portugal have prices ranging from $40 to $150 which approximates to about £20 to £75. That’s actually quite reasonable.

For the Ireland prices range from $65 to $635 (approx £33 to £318). Less reasonable at the top end but decent at the lower end.

opening match is Aus v Hong Kong.
WR chair says this is fine. WR chair is Australian.
The alternatives were for Aus to play Chile or NZ. Clearly they did not fancy getting thumped in the opening match, so a total mismatch it is
By contrast the opening match in 2023 in France was France v NZ

BaldiePete wrote: ↑Mon Feb 02, 2026 11:49 pm

Cameo wrote: ↑Mon Feb 02, 2026 10:46 pm Fixture list is out. We have Uruguay first, then Ireland, then Portugal, all on consecutive Sundays.

All fine re player welfare. I would think pick our top team for the first two and then see how everyone is.

Sunday 3rd October v Uruguay in Melbourne. Kick off 7.15am BST
Sunday 10th October v Ireland in Perth. Kick off 10.45am BST
Sunday 17th October v Portugal in Brisbane. Kick off 7.15am BST.

Lots of travelling required. Melbourne to Perth is about 1700 miles as the crow flies, Perth to Brisbane is about 2300 miles.

Yeah, didn't notice the venues. Bit silly to have to travel all that way.

septic 9 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 03, 2026 10:29 am opening match is Aus v Hong Kong.
WR chair says this is fine. WR chair is Australian.
The alternatives were for Aus to play Chile or NZ. Clearly they did not fancy getting thumped in the opening match, so a total mismatch it is
By contrast the opening match in 2023 in France was France v NZ

Apparently the logic is that they will sell out the opening game whoever they play so they don't need a glamour opponent.

Plus they don't want to deflate the fans on day one.

Cameo wrote: ↑Tue Feb 03, 2026 5:50 pm

BaldiePete wrote: ↑Mon Feb 02, 2026 11:49 pm

Cameo wrote: ↑Mon Feb 02, 2026 10:46 pm Fixture list is out. We have Uruguay first, then Ireland, then Portugal, all on consecutive Sundays.

All fine re player welfare. I would think pick our top team for the first two and then see how everyone is.

Sunday 3rd October v Uruguay in Melbourne. Kick off 7.15am BST
Sunday 10th October v Ireland in Perth. Kick off 10.45am BST
Sunday 17th October v Portugal in Brisbane. Kick off 7.15am BST.

Lots of travelling required. Melbourne to Perth is about 1700 miles as the crow flies, Perth to Brisbane is about 2300 miles.

Yeah, didn't notice the venues. Bit silly to have to travel all that way.

At least Ireland have a similar schedule with games in Sydney, Perth and Melbourne (in that order). The other Tier Ones who have to play in Perth either start there (Australia, NZ) or finish there (SA). It’s only us and Ireland who have to cross the entire country for one match before heading back east for the final match. In the first knockout round both 1st and 2nd in our group will play in Melbourne.