
We’ve known for a few years that the 2027 men’s Rugby World Cup would be held in Australia, but the exact venues had been left a mystery for a while. World Rugby chose today to lift the veil and reveal the seven host cities, with Sydney arguably the biggest winner. Our city will host both semi-finals and the final, along with five pool matches and four other knockout matches, with the Olympic Stadium rumoured to be the venue for the final.
The tournament will feature matches across the nation, as World Rugby plan on “taking rugby union’s showcase event across Australia’s heartlands to ensure the tournament’s positive impact and legacy is felt across the nation”. That means Newcastle, Adelaide, and Townsville will play host to pool matches, with Perth getting the opening game of the tournament, four more pool matches, and two round of 16 games. As the tournament heads towards the sharp end, Melbourne (seven pool matches, two round of 16 games) and Brisbane (six pool game, two round of 16 matchups, and two quarter-finals) will host crucial games.
With eight of the knockout games, Sydney has scooped more winner-takes-all clashes than any other city, including the one that really matters for the 24 teams who’ll touch down in Australia hoping to take home the trophy: the final. Will Australia be competing for an unforgettable title on home soil? Can South Africa defend the crown they won in 2023? Could a European team steal the win? Or will the ever-present All Blacks be back for another shot at glory? We’ll find out on November 13, 2027, right here in Sydney.
The full fixture list – including the chosen venues, and where Australia will play their pool and knockout matches during the tournament – will be revealed in due course, but the hype is already beginning. NSW Premier Chris Minns stated during the reveal that “It’s great to see New South Wales come out on top – securing hosting rights to Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027. Staging the finals and having more matches than any other state, demonstrates just how attractive NSW is as a destination for global sporting events.”
Twelve teams have already qualified for the finals: including Australia, you’ll see Argentina, England, Fiji, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales at the tournament, with a further twelve places up for grabs. The tournament runs from October 1 to November 13, 2027, and we’ll keep you up to date with the latest news around the men’s Rugby World Cup 2027. You can register your interest in tickets here.