Drawn in Pool D, the Celtic neighbours are drawn alongside Uruguay and Portugal.

In World Cup matches, Ireland beat the Scots in both the 2019 and 2023 tournaments, while Scotland claimed victory at the 1991 edition.

Ireland have never faced Uruguay or Portugal on the Rugby World Cup stage. Andy Farrell’s side did, however, post their record win (106-7) in test rugby against Portugal earlier this year.

The Ireland side will face a South American team in a pool for the first time since Argentina in 2007.

Portugal and Uruguay will meet for the first time at a Rugby World Cup.

Scotland’s only previous meetings with Uruguay and Portugal both came in the debut tournaments for those teams, in 1999 and 2007 respectively.

Portugal’s first-ever Rugby World Cup match was against Scotland, where they suffered a comprehensive 56-10 defeat.

Os Lobos have now been paired with at least two European teams in each of their three Rugby World Cup tournaments.

POOL A (NZL, AUS, CHI, HKG)

Australia and New Zealand are drawn together in a pool for the first time. This will be their first RWC meeting since the 2015 final won 34-17 by New Zealand at Twickenham.

The Wallabies will face a South American team for the fifth time in a pool after Argentina (1991 and 2003) and Uruguay (2015 and 2019).

Two of New Zealand’s titles came after facing a South American team in a pool (Argentina in 1987 and 2015).

Chile will face three new teams on the Rugby World Cup stage. They have a won one, lost one record against Hong Kong China, the only team in their pool that they have faced before.

Hong Kong China will be the 27th national team to play in a Men’s Rugby World Cup. The country’s women were also drawn in a pool with New Zealand for their Rugby World Cup debut in 2017, losing 121-0 in Dublin.

POOL  B (RSA, ITA, GEO, ROU)

South Africa are drawn in Pool B for the third successive tournament and have always been in a pool with at least one European nation. This is the second tournament in a row they will face three European nations after meeting Ireland, Scotland and Romania at RWC 2023.

Italy are drawn in a pool with Georgia for the first time.

Georgia will face South Africa for the first time since their debut tournament in 2003 in Australia, a match they lost 46-19 in Sydney.

Italy will meet the Springboks for the second time, having lost 49-3 in their RWC 2019 encounter in Japan.

It will be a third tournament in a row that Italy face an African opponent, having also met Namibia in 2019 and 2023.

Romania have lost to all three of their pool opponents at a Rugby World Cup (Georgia in 2011, Italy in 2007 and 2015 and South Africa in 1995 and 2023).

POOL C (ARG, FIJ, ESP, CAN)

Argentina and Fiji met in their first-ever Rugby World Cup match in 1987, the Pacific Islanders winning 28-9 in Hamilton. They have not been drawn in a pool together since then.

Los Pumas have never met Canada or Spain on the Rugby World Cup stage and it is 22 years since their last test against Canada, a 62-22 win in Buenos Aires. Argentina beat Spain 62-3 in August 2023.

Canada have faced their other two pool opponents this year, losing 24-23 to Spain in July and 63-10 to Fiji in September.

Fiji and Canada last met at a Rugby World Cup in 2007, the Fijians winning 29-16.

Canada will face a Pacific islands nation for the first time since they beat Tonga 25-20 at at RWC 2011.

Spain and Fiji met last month, the Pacific Islanders running out 41-33 winners in Malaga.

Spain faced a South American team in their first RWC match in 1999, losing 27-15. They will face these three teams for the first time on the Rugby World Cup stage.

POOL E (FRA, JPN, USA, SAM)

France will meet Samoa for the first time in a Rugby World Cup pool match.

Les Bleus have met Japan on two occasions, including when the tournament was last held in Australia in 2003.

France were among USA’s opponents at their last Rugby World Cup in 2019.

Japan and Samoa are drawn together for the fourth tournament in a row, the Brave Blossoms having won the three most recent encounters after a loss in 1999.

USA and Japan met in their first-ever Rugby World Cup match, the Men’s Eagles winning 21-18 at Ballymore in 1987. Two of the three RWC meetings between Japan and USA have come on Australian soil with USA also winning 39-26 in Gosford in 2003.

Samoa, who lost to USA in the RWC 2027 qualification process, will meet the Eagles in a tournament hosted outside of Europe for the first time, having met in 2007 (France) and 2015 (England).

POOL F (ENG, WAL, TGA, ZIM)

England will face Wales for the second time in a RWC pool, having lost 28-25 on home soil in 2015.

Tonga are one of two sides that England have scored a century of points against on the Rugby World Cup stage (101-10 in 1999). England also beat the ‘Ikale Tahi on two other occasions, in 2007 and 2019.

Wales and Tonga last met at a Rugby World Cup in 2003, the Welsh winning 27-20 in Canberra. They also faced off in the inaugural tournament in 1987, Wales winning 29-16.

Zimbabwe have three new Rugby World Cup opponents, taking the number of different teams they will have faced to eight (only Scotland twice). It will be the first time they face a Pacific Islands nation.

Tonga and Zimbabwe’s meeting at RWC 2027 will come 30 years after the ‘Ikale Tahi ran out 42-13 winners in their only previous test in Harare.

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A Brand-New Format

The tournament is moving away from the traditional 20-team model used since 2003. Instead, six pools of four teams will decide the qualifiers, with the top two in each pool plus the four best third-placed teams progressing to a new Round of 16. This guarantees more knockout rugby and extra drama.

The total number of matches rises from 48 to 52, but the tournament will actually be shorter — 43 days compared to 50 in 2023 — thanks to streamlined scheduling and even pools of four, which eliminate rest weekends during the pool stage.

No More Protected Status

In previous World Cups, automatically qualified teams were guaranteed not to be seeded lower than 12th. That safety net has been scrapped. The December draw will now use World Rugby rankings only. Ireland’s position in Band 1 is safe for now, but there is no longer any “protection” — slip in the rankings, and the consequences could be severe.

Seeding Bands (Projected)

If the draw were held today, the four seeding bands might look like this:

• Band 1: New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, France, England, Australia (host)
• Band 2: Argentina, Scotland, Fiji, Italy, Georgia, Wales
• Band 3: Japan, Samoa, Spain, Portugal, Tonga, USA
• Band 4: Uruguay, Romania, Chile, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Hong Kong China

Note: Australia are automatically placed in Pool A as host nation.

A Likely Irish Pool

One plausible scenario would see Ireland drawn in Pool A alongside Australia. Using the projected bands, here’s how that could look:

Pool A – Hypothetical Draw
Ireland (Band 1)
Australia (Host / Band 1)
Georgia (Band 2)
Spain (Band 3)

This group would offer a huge showdown with the Wallabies, a classic forward battle with Georgia, and a first-ever World Cup clash against Spain — one of Europe’s most improved sides. Ireland would be favourites to top the pool, but the margin for error is slim.

The Knockout Path Explained

The introduction of the Round of 16 means the bracket works differently depending on which pool you win. Here’s how it breaks down:

• Pools A–D winners: face a third-placed team in the Round of 16, but could meet another pool winner as early as the quarter-finals.
• Pools E & F winners: face a runner-up in the Round of 16, but crucially avoid another pool winner until the semi-final.

That small structural quirk could be decisive. Ireland in Pool A would enjoy an “easier” first knockout, but face a heavyweight immediately after. If placed in Pool E or F, they might face stiffer resistance in the Round of 16 but have a clearer run to the last four.

“The winners of Pools E and F have the most favourable knockout pathway. For Ireland, avoiding another top seed until the semi-final could be game-changing.”

Hypothetical Other Pools

For context, here’s how the rest of the tournament could shape up in this projection:

• Pool B: New Zealand, Argentina, Japan, Uruguay
• Pool C: South Africa, Scotland, Samoa, Romania
• Pool D: France, Wales, Fiji, Chile
• Pool E: England, Italy, Tonga, Namibia
• Pool F: Remaining Band 1 side, Portugal, USA, Hong Kong China

This setup creates enticing matchups like France v Fiji, South Africa v Scotland and England v Tonga, while also spreading the Tier Two nations across competitive pools.

What It Means for Ireland

Ireland’s path will depend heavily on which pool they land in. If they are locked into Pool A with hosts Australia, they will likely face a third-place side in the Round of 16 before clashing with a powerhouse like South Africa or France in the quarters. However, if the draw places them in Pool E or F, the door to a semi-final could be considerably more open.

The bigger picture is clear: Ireland can no longer fear just the quarter-finals. To win a World Cup, they must now string together four consecutive knockout victories — Round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final and final. It’s a test of depth, composure and consistency unlike anything they’ve faced before.

Ticketing and Fan Interest

With games spread across seven Australian cities — Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Newcastle and Townsville — Irish supporters are already planning their trips. Presale tickets open in February 2026, with general applications in May 2026. If Ireland are in Pool A, expect huge Irish support in Perth and Sydney, where the diaspora is strongest.

Final Word

For Ireland, the 2027 Rugby World Cup represents both opportunity and jeopardy. The scrapping of protective seeding has raised the stakes, but the expanded format gives Farrell’s squad a real chance to build knockout momentum. Whether they are drawn into Pool A with Australia or land in Pool E/F with a smoother path, the message is simple: Ireland’s destiny will be shaped in Sydney on 3 December 2025.

For once, the so-called “quarter-final curse” might not even be the biggest talking point — instead, it could be whether Ireland have the resilience to handle four elimination games in six weeks and finally lift the Webb Ellis Cup.

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