Rassie warns about 'pool pitfalls'
REACTION: South Africa may have a relatively ‘easy’ pool when they defend their title at the 2027 World Cup, but coach Rassie Erasmus had a few words of caution.
The Springboks have been drawn with Italy, Georgia, and Romania for the pool stages of the 2027 World Cup in Australia.
The Boks will be aiming for an unprecedented third consecutive title after lifting the Webb Ellis Cup in Japan in 2019 and France in 2023.
The Boks have faced all three of their pool opponents in World Cups before – Romania in 1995 and 1999, Georgia in 2003, and Italy in 2019.
The draw was held in Australia on Wednesday, with the 24 participating teams split into four bands according to their world rankings, then randomly assigned to the six pools.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus was satisfied with the pool draw, as they continue to put the building blocks in place to stake a claim for a possible third Webb Ellis Cup title in a row.
(Continue below …)
“We are pleased with the pool we have been drawn in,” Erasmus said, before issuing a word of caution.
“This is a World Cup, and every team will go out there with great passion and do their utmost to represent their nations with pride.
“There have been surprises in the tournament before, so we’ll need to be up mentally and physically for every match.”
Erasmus added: “Italy may be ranked 10th in the world, but they showed us what they are capable of when they hit their straps earlier this season, even though the scorelines may not have reflected that.
“Georgia and Romania are also extremely physical and passionate teams, and we’ve faced them before, so we know how tough they can be on the day if we give them space and opportunities to play to their potential.”
Hosts Australia have been drawn in Pool A with New Zealand, Chile, and Hong Kong China; while Pool C features Argentina, Fiji, Spain, and Canada.
Ireland have been drawn in Pool D with Scotland, Uruguay and Portugal; Pool E will see France, Japan, 2031 RWC hosts the USA, and Samoa being pitted against one another’ while England, Wales, Tonga, and Zimbabwe will battle it out in Pool F.
With the number of participating teams increasing from 20 to 24 and 52 matches playing out in the global extravaganza, the tournament will now feature six pools as opposed to four, with the winners of Pool A, B, C, and D taking on the four best third-placed teams, while the winners of Pool E and F will face the runners-up from Pool B and D. The runners-up in Pool A and C, in turn, will meet the second-placed teams from Pool E and F in the Round of 16.
The draw was hosted in Australia on Wednesday and was based on the world rankings for the 2025 season, which determined the placement of the 24 teams into four bands of six for the draw.
The extravaganza will be hosted from October 1 to November 13, 2027 across seven cities in Australia – Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Newcastle, Sydney, and Townsville – with the matchday schedule set to be announced on Tuesday, 3 February 2026.
