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The Wallabies will be afforded a golden runway to the 2027 World Cup quarter-finals in their bid to secure a first title in 28 years, despite their inability this year to secure a place as one of top seeds ahead of this week’s draw.
Wednesday night’s proceedings in Sydney will unveil the minnows Australia are expected to trounce on their way to the knockout round, as well as the Wallabies’ main group rival and opponent in the pool stage’s marquee clash.
Where the balls fall will also trigger a frantic two months for organisers as they plan an expanded tournament which may still include the MCG, even if Victoria’s deal with the NFL has limited dates available to use the 100,000-seat cauldron and frustrated rugby officials.
The 24-nation showpiece has grown by four teams since the 2023 edition in France, where the Wallabies were knocked out in the pool stage for the first time.
Six groups of four teams are the basis for a 52-match tournament held across seven cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Newcastle and Townsville.
Australia – who ended a disappointing season with a winless European tour to finish 2025 ranked seventh in the world – are in band two for the draw, along with Fiji, Scotland, Italy, Wales and Japan. The Wallabies are already locked into Group A as hosts, and will be paired with one of the world’s top six from band one – South Africa, New Zealand, England, Ireland, France or Argentina.
The other two teams in Australia’s pool will come from emerging rugby nations. One possible group would be Argentina, Australia, USA and Samoa; another is England, Australia, Uruguay and Hong Kong.
The top two in each group will progress to the 16-team knockout round, which also includes the four third-placed teams with the most points.
One of those teams will meet the winner of Australia’s pool, but even if the Wallabies finish second – in line with their current ranking – they will only meet a runner-up from another group, thereby avoiding a likely top seed in the round of 16.
It’s a decided advantage for the hosts, given runners up in pool B and pool D face other group winners.
While stadiums for some matches are locked in, including the first match at Perth’s Optus Stadium and the final at Accor Stadium in Sydney, there is uncertainty around others.
There is still a possibility Victoria’s two last-16 and seven pool matches include a fixture at the MCG. However, the state government’s multi-year deal with the NFL has left organisers in limbo.
The tournament runs between the start of October and mid-November, overlapping the early weeks of the 2026-27 NFL season. Under Victoria’s much-vaunted NFL agreement, the American league is afforded a window to decide when to visit Melbourne.
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However, Rugby World Cup organisers will need to confirm matches by February next year when ticket pre-sales begin.
The situation leaves the 53,000-capacity Marvel Stadium as the likely venue for even Melbourne’s most attractive matches. A Visit Victoria spokesperson declined to comment on commercial in confidence deals, but said “we’re continuing to work with all parties to finalise details for games here”.
Wednesday’s draw will allocate the lower-ranked teams first, leaving Australia’s group rivals to be determined as the final formal act of the evening.
Recently-retired Wallaby James Slipper, ex-All Black Dan Carter and Olympic sevens gold medal-winner Alicia Lucas are presenters, alongside Australian World Rugby chair Brett Robinson.
The draw will be held in Sydney from 8pm (7pm in Brisbane, 5pm in Perth), and will be broadcast on Stan Sport, 9Gem and 9Now.
Band one: South Africa, New Zealand, England, Ireland, France, Argentina. Band two: Australia, Fiji, Scotland, Italy, Wales, Japan. Band three: Georgia, Uruguay, Spain, United States, Chile, Tonga. Band four: Samoa, Portugal, Romania, Hong Kong, Zimbabwe, Canada
