Hosts Australia and New Zealand will reportedly not meet in the opening match of the 2027 World Cup.
The fixtures are set to be announced in Sydney on Tuesday morning.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the decision has been made to hold the blockbuster trans-Tasman Pool A clash back until later in the pool phase, with the Wallabies instead likely to face either Chile or Hong Kong in the opening match in Perth.
Tradition dictates the host nation plays the opening game, and the Western Australian government has already secured the rights to stage the opener at the 61,000-capacity Optus Stadium in Perth.
Given the opening match is expected to sell out regardless of the opponent, organisers believe there is greater value in spreading marquee fixtures across the pool rounds rather than front-loading the tournament.
Another consideration, according to informed sources, was the risk of an opening Wallabies defeat dampening domestic interest.
The Wallabies-All Blacks pool match is set to be played at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium, which holds 82,000, and will allow organisers to maximise revenue from one of the tournament’s biggest draws.
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It is not unusual for hosts to avoid a heavyweight opponent in the opener.
While France chose to face New Zealand first in 2023, other recent hosts – including England in 2015 and Japan in 2019 – opted for lower-ranked opposition to launch their tournaments.
Previously, tradition indicated that the hosts play the defending champions as the Springboks did when facing Australia at Newlands in 1995, but that was subsequently done away with.
Photo: Janelle St Pierre/Getty Images
The post Wallabies vs All Blacks won’t kick off 2027 RWC appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
