The Springboks will take centre stage when the Rugby World Cup 2027 draw takes place on 3 December, with the four-time champions eyeing an unprecedented hat-trick of titles.
Having lifted the Webb Ellis Cup in Japan (2019) and France (2023), the Boks will enter the expanded 24-team tournament in Australia as defending champions and the team every nation wants to avoid in the pool stages.
No side in rugby history has ever claimed three successive World Cup crowns, but Rassie Erasmus’ men will have the chance to make history when the action kicks off in Perth in September 2027.
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The new format will see six pools of four teams each, with the world rankings at the end of the 2025 Test season deciding the seedings for December’s draw. From there, the top two sides in each pool – plus the four best third-placed finishers – will progress to the first-ever round of 16 knockout stage.
For South Africa, the draw marks the first step in plotting another campaign of dominance on rugby’s grandest stage. The Boks have proved unbeatable in World Cup knockout rugby since 2015, and their physicality, depth and winning culture ensure they remain the benchmark for the global game.
The 2027 edition is set to be the biggest yet: 52 matches across seven host cities, with Optus Stadium in Perth hosting the opening clash involving the Wallabies. By then, the Springboks will know their route through the pools and the gauntlet of opposition standing in their way.
Chile recently became the 23rd qualifier, with the final place to be confirmed in Dubai later this year, rounding out the most competitive World Cup field ever assembled.
The qualified teams for the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027
One place is still up for grabs ahead of the draw on the 3rd of December
#RWC2027 pic.twitter.com/Ux854wdqqv
— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) October 1, 2025
Photo: Tom Jenkins/Getty Images
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