REVEALED: Boks get Six Nations pool
BREAKING NEWS: Defending champions South Africa will have two Six Nations teams in their pool at the 2023 World Cup.
The Boks will have Ireland and Scotland in their pool, Pool B. They will also go up against a side from Asia/ Pacific and a further European nation.
In another intriguing development hosts France will play three-time winners New Zealand.
The All Blacks will also meet Italy and two qualifiers, one from the Americas and another from Africa, in Pool A.
England, the 2003 winners, will take on Japan, who hosted the last World Cup in 2019.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, seeding levels for the tournament draw were based on the world rankings on January 1, 2020 instead of after the year-end internationals as originally intended.
Organisers also moved the event forward to be able to start selling tickets in March next year, before ticket sales for the 2024 Paris Olympics begin in 2022.
The dozen countries from the draw will be joined by eight qualifiers, with the final lineup known by November 22.
Pool A
New Zealand
France
Italy
Americas 1
Africa 1
Pool B
South Africa
Ireland
Scotland
Asia / Pacific 1
Europe 2
Pool C
Wales
Australia
Fiji
Europe 1
Final Qualifier Winner
Pool D
England
Japan
Argentina
Oceania 1
Americas 2
