Perth rugby fans have voiced their frustration after organisers confirmed that Australia will open the 2027 Rugby World Cup against minnows Hong Kong.
The decision has deflated hopes of a once-in-a-lifetime Wallabies–All Blacks World Cup opener at Optus Stadium in Western Australia, with the trans-Tasman showdown instead scheduled for Sydney.
Australia will launch their first home Rugby World Cup since 2003 against debutants and the tournament’s third-lowest-ranked side on October 1, despite earlier indications that the opening match would be a marquee fixture.
Boks’ 2027 RWC pool venues, times confirmed
The #RWC2027 match schedule is locked in
The Springboks face Italy in Adelaide, Georgia in Brisbane and Romania in Perth
The tournament begins on Friday 1 October
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— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) February 3, 2026
Optus Stadium will host seven matches in total, including four pool games and two round-of-16 fixtures. New Zealand will face Chile in Perth the day after the opening match, while other fixtures include USA vs Samoa, the Springboks vs Romania and a standout pool clash between Ireland and Scotland. One round-of-16 match is likely to involve South Africa, with another potentially featuring England and Italy.
But the nature of the opening game has left some long-time fans deeply disappointed.
Western Force supporter Marc Jones told The West Australian he was “heartbroken” by the decision.
“They could offer me front row seats, to where you could literally walk on the field, I would literally toss them in the bin,” he said.
“I’ve already made my mind up. I’m going to boycott the opening game. There’s no way I’m going. I won’t even watch it at the pub. It’s not even worth it.
“It’s heartbreaking as a Wallabies fan.”
While many fans welcomed the calibre of teams heading to Perth, social media reaction echoed similar disappointment over the low-profile opener. Even the All Blacks appeared to poke fun at the scheduling, posting – and later deleting – a graphic suggesting they were involved in the opening match, captioned: “we thought we had the script…”
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World Rugby chair Brett Robinson previously described opening matches as “ordinarily, the pick of the matches”, but Rugby World Cup 2027 managing director Chris Stanley defended the call.
“We looked at all sorts of matches, all the Wallabies matches, for the opening match,” Stanley said.
“But as tournament organisers, we were really keen, it’s a really good narrative, exciting to have a debutant playing in the opening match.
“There’s a great link into Asia, all the expats, there’s a great diaspora living in Perth. I won’t say it was an easy decision: none of the match scheduling is an easy decision.”
Photo: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
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