2027 Rugby World Cup pits All Blacks against top-ranked Springboks
The 2027 World Cup draw would see second-ranked New Zealand face number-one South Africa in the quarter-finals if seedings hold.
All Blacks coach Dave Rennie says the 2027 Rugby World Cup draw is stacked harshly against his team. If pool matches go as expected, New Zealand (ranked second globally) would meet top-ranked South Africa in the quarter-finals instead of later in the tournament.
The winner would then face France in the semi-finals. Rennie compared it unfavourably to the 2026 football World Cup, where the four top-ranked teams met in the semi-finals and final.
He pointed out that South Africa beat New Zealand in the 2023 World Cup final, meaning a potential rematch would come much earlier than typical. Rennie said the team is focused on the immediate game against Australia but acknowledged that to win a title, "you've got to beat them all anyway."
- Number 2
- New Zealand ranking
- Number 1
- South Africa ranking
- 2023 World Cup final
- South Africa victory
- Dave Rennie
- All Blacks coach
Why it mattersTournament seeding can dramatically change a team's path to glory; an early clash with the world's top side cuts the margin for error.
AustraliaAustralia's own path to the 2027 final would pit the Wallabies against England in a rematch of the iconic 2003 final if rankings hold.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 2 h ago
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