[Source: Rugby World Cup]

The men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia will feature 24 teams after the World Rugby Council approved a historic reimagination of the competition format, window, and timing.

Reflecting World Rugby’s mission to increase the global competitiveness, reach, impact, and value of international rugby, the 11th edition of the men’s pinnacle event will see the world’s top teams compete for the right to lift the Webb Ellis Cup across six weeks from October 1 to November 13, 2027.

The new format will feature six pools of four teams, with a round of 16 added prior to the quarterfinals.

This will enable the tournament window to be reduced from seven to six weeks while promoting a rhythm that builds momentum across the pool phase and respects the same minimum number of rest days between matches as in France 2023.

A cornerstone of the overall reform of the international calendar from 2026, this reimagination of the Rugby World Cup has players and fans at heart, providing unions and international and domestic competitions with greater opportunity and certainty.

It has been made possible by the linked reform of World Rugby Regulation 9, which governs the international windows for player release.

Round of 16 to be introduced, with the top two teams from each pool automatically qualifying along with the best four third-placed teams.

The decision provides certainty for all stakeholders and maintains the Rugby World Cup’s position as the jewel in the crown of the international calendar.

Details of the qualification process for the Rugby World Cup 2027 will be determined following a full review of France 2023 and consultation with unions and regions.

The Council also supported World Rugby’s desire to undertake the pool draw as late as possible to best reflect global competitiveness. This has been made possible by the reform of the hosting model in May 2022, which sees World Rugby take greater control of key decisions and more financial risk.

World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont says that if they are to become a truly global sport, they must create greater relevance, opportunity, and competitiveness to attract new fans and grow value.

He says the decision to expand the Rugby World Cup 2027 to 24 teams is logical and the right thing to do.

Underpinned by a new global calendar that increases certainty and opportunity, we are focused on raising standards, closing the gaps, and creating a spectacle that fans demand to see.

Independent chairman of the Rugby World Cup 2027 and 2029 Board, Sir Rod Eddington, says this is a fantastic outcome for the local organizing company as they prepare to transfer from future host to next host of the men’s Rugby World Cup.

World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin added that today’s decision is the culmination of a process that began in May 2022 with a new Rugby World Cup hosting model, greater collaboration on the reform of the international calendar, and recognition that the sport needed to evolve.

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