The 2027 Rugby World Cup is set to be the biggest edition of the tournament yet, with a record 24 teams preparing to battle it out across Australia over six weeks.
The 11th edition of rugby’s global showpiece will kick off on 1 October 2027, expanding from the traditional 20-team format.
Matches will be played across seven Australian cities Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Townsville and Newcastle with 52 games scheduled.
Organisers say demand for tickets has been strong, with more than 750,000 pre-sale tickets purchased by fans from 135 countries.
Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Japan and France have accounted for the largest share of sales, while Chile, the United States and Canada have also recorded strong demand.
More than half of the initial allocation was reportedly sold within the first six hours, with some of the most sought-after fixtures including Australia against New Zealand, England versus Wales, Ireland against Scotland and knockout-stage matches.
World Rugby chief executive Brett Robinson described the response as a positive sign for the tournament.
“It's a really good signal,” Robinson said. “We're really optimistic and excited.”
He added: “It's going to be a party like nothing on Earth.”
The tournament is also expected to surpass the attendance record set at the 2023 World Cup in France, which attracted about 2.4 million spectators. Australia has approximately 2.5 million tickets available.
The event is expected to provide a significant economic boost to Australian rugby, with Rugby Australia also set to host the women’s World Cup in 2029.
Only four nations have previously won the men’s Rugby World Cup. South Africa have four titles, New Zealand three, Australia two and England one.
The Springboks will head into the tournament as the defending champions after winning the 2019 and 2023 editions.
South Africa recently strengthened their credentials by beating New Zealand 3-1 in their four-Test “Greatest Rivalry” series.
The Springboks have been drawn in Pool B alongside Italy, Georgia and Romania.
New Zealand are in Pool A with Australia, Chile and World Cup debutants Hong Kong. The All Blacks are seeking their first title since 2015 after narrowly losing the 2023 final to South Africa.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has warned against complacency despite his side’s strong record.
“There have been surprises in the tournament before, so we'll need to be up mentally and physically for every match,” Erasmus said.
New Zealand captain Scott Barrett echoed those sentiments, pointing to the possibility of facing several of the world’s top-ranked teams before the final.
“Along the way you're going to play potentially number one, two and three in the world, and it might not be in the final,” Barrett said.
“That's the beauty of the World Cup. You're going to have to peak at the right time.”
Ireland are in Pool D with Scotland, Uruguay and Portugal, while France headline Pool E alongside Japan, the United States and Samoa.
England have been drawn in Pool F with Wales, Tonga and Zimbabwe.
Australia will open the tournament in Perth against Hong Kong as they look to rebuild their standing after several difficult years.
The Wallabies did, however, claim a notable 42-38 victory over South Africa in Perth despite being reduced to 11 players at one stage.
The expanded tournament will also feature a new format.
Instead of four pools containing five teams each, the 24 nations will be divided into six pools of four.
The tournament will be played over 19 match days, with fixtures concentrated around weekends to maximise attendance.
The pool stage will conclude with a tournament first on 17 October, when five matches will be played on the same day.
A first-ever round of 16 will then take place in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. The six pool winners and six runners-up will qualify, along with the four best third-placed teams.
Sydney and Brisbane will host the quarter-finals before the semi-finals and final are staged at the 82,000-capacity Stadium Australia.
The World Cup final is scheduled for 13 November 2027.