New Rugby World Cup Format + Expansion from 2027

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/67206691

The Rugby World Cup will be extended to 24 teams in 2027, with a new round of 16 added. The competition length will be shortened to six weeks, from seven, and the draw will be made in January 2026.

The new format will be six groups of four, with the top two in each group and the four best third-placed teams advancing to the last 16, where it will be a straight knockout.

Not sure I'm a fan of the new format or expansion, but at least the draw will be made later.

There's also more details of the new tournament starting in 2026, which will replace standalone summer and autumn internationals, and involve two divisions of 12 teams, with a promotion + relegation aspect being added in 2030.

Will be interesting to see how the round of 16 will be "seeded"

To get a feel of it, based on current world rankings the 2027 World Cup draw could look like this (thanks to Joe Naughton on X):

1) South Africa, Argentina, Portugal, Spain
2) New Zealand, Wales, Georgia, Romania
3) Ireland, Australia, Samoa, Namibia
4) France, Fiji, Tonga, Chile
5) England, Italy, Uruguay, Canada
6) Scotland, Japan, USA, Hong Kong

And the likes of Zimbabwe, Brazil, Netherlands, Switzerland, S Korea and Germany are just outside the top 24 at the moment.

The tournament would require seven games to win, the same as now because one group game will be substituted for one KO game, but (as far as I can see) there would be no official rest weekends for teams, unlike now.

I think the group stage for 2027 looks even more uninteresting than it does now. Agree it would be interesting to see how the round of 16 is seeded and worked out. Four group winners will presumably get to play four third-placed teams in the round of 16, but two group winners would have to satisfy themselves with a second-placed team.

[There's also more details of the new tournament starting in 2026, which will replace standalone summer and autumn internationals, and involve two divisions of 12 teams, with a promotion + relegation aspect being added in 2030.[/quote]

This is really bad. So, there will probably be absolutely no Tier 1 v Tier 2 games for the next 7 years at least, outside of a World Cup. Essentially the top 12 pulling up the ladder behind them. 11 international games a season is probably the top end for player sustainability, so there will be no room for anything else. This is CVC pulling the strings.

They could have added a stipulation that each Tier 1 nation has to play a Tier 2 nation per season, at the very least.

Mcsweens wrote:[There's also more details of the new tournament starting in 2026, which will replace standalone summer and autumn internationals, and involve two divisions of 12 teams, with a promotion + relegation aspect being added in 2030.

They've already said there will be tier 1 teams playing tier 2 teams, though not sure how that will work. The USA for instance will definitely be getting games as they build for their home world cup.

Other thing that strikes me about the RWC format is that although the winner still plays 7 games half the the minnows only get 3

No no no world rugby.

Sure it’s good to bring another 4 teams to the World Cup but Hong Kong would get spanked by 100 points by the tier 1 team. Is it going to be points difference to determine the draw for the best 3rd places and who plays them? I’m which case it incentivises the tier one team to go full metal jacket at the new boys which will really turn their gams off.

And this new league. Omg. All World Cup we have Samoa and Tonga saying how they need to play the top teams more. What does world rugby do? Stop any further games for them. Shameful. Utterly shameful.

11 matches a year is fine for players. Right now its usually 12 so we’re dropping a game essentially (5 6ns games, 4 AIs, 3 summer tour)

Really not expanding the game. Just making it an official two tier system where never shall the two meet other than the World Cup where the big boys want to hand out a spanking.

Poor

tigertattie wrote:No no no world rugby.

Sure it’s good to bring another 4 teams to the World Cup but Hong Kong would get spanked by 100 points by the tier 1 team. Is it going to be points difference to determine the draw for the best 3rd places and who plays them? I’m which case it incentivises the tier one team to go full metal jacket at the new boys which will really turn their gams off.

And this new league. Omg. All World Cup we have Samoa and Tonga saying how they need to play the top teams more. What does world rugby do? Stop any further games for them. Shameful. Utterly shameful.

11 matches a year is fine for players. Right now its usually 12 so we’re dropping a game essentially (5 6ns games, 4 AIs, 3 summer tour)

Really not expanding the game. Just making it an official two tier system where never shall the two meet other than the World Cup where the big boys want to hand out a spanking.

Poor

It's not all bad, the world cup as it is now wasn't really working, between the unfair draws (Romania and Tonga were done dirty), bad schedules (tier 2 sides not getting a full weeks rest between games in previous world cups), this may be better for them.

So long as there is promotion/relegation, this is better than what we have now. Waiting for the scraps off tier 1 nations in the AI series doesn't do a whole for growth. Now tier 2 sides will have a full schedule of games instead of sporadically playing between world cups.

So Ireland could win their first WC knock out game....and still not get through the 1/4's!

Ah, the draw in 2026. No excuses for the Irish chokers this time .

LeinsterFan4life wrote:

tigertattie wrote:No no no world rugby.

Sure it’s good to bring another 4 teams to the World Cup but Hong Kong would get spanked by 100 points by the tier 1 team. Is it going to be points difference to determine the draw for the best 3rd places and who plays them? I’m which case it incentivises the tier one team to go full metal jacket at the new boys which will really turn their gams off.

And this new league. Omg. All World Cup we have Samoa and Tonga saying how they need to play the top teams more. What does world rugby do? Stop any further games for them. Shameful. Utterly shameful.

11 matches a year is fine for players. Right now its usually 12 so we’re dropping a game essentially (5 6ns games, 4 AIs, 3 summer tour)

Really not expanding the game. Just making it an official two tier system where never shall the two meet other than the World Cup where the big boys want to hand out a spanking.

Poor

It's not all bad, the world cup as it is now wasn't really working, between the unfair draws (Romania and Tonga were done dirty), bad schedules (tier 2 sides not getting a full weeks rest between games in previous world cups), this may be better for them.

So long as there is promotion/relegation, this is better than what we have now.  Waiting for the scraps of tier 1 nations in the AI series doesn't do a whole for growth. Now tier 2 sides will have a full schedule of games instead of sporadically playing between world cups.

The draw was a mess due to being done too early is all

This league is a farce. It gets rid of summer and autumn internationals which was the time when at least the 6ns teams would play tier 2 team. We played Georgia, Samoa, Tonga. These teams now will only play is in world cups until 2030. Japan and Fiji have snuck in and will be laughing all the way to progression and the bank. Everyone else is now ring fenced out of a game against the big guns for 7 years.

tigertattie wrote:

LeinsterFan4life wrote:

tigertattie wrote:No no no world rugby.

Sure it’s good to bring another 4 teams to the World Cup but Hong Kong would get spanked by 100 points by the tier 1 team. Is it going to be points difference to determine the draw for the best 3rd places and who plays them? I’m which case it incentivises the tier one team to go full metal jacket at the new boys which will really turn their gams off.

And this new league. Omg. All World Cup we have Samoa and Tonga saying how they need to play the top teams more. What does world rugby do? Stop any further games for them. Shameful. Utterly shameful.

11 matches a year is fine for players. Right now its usually 12 so we’re dropping a game essentially (5 6ns games, 4 AIs, 3 summer tour)

Really not expanding the game. Just making it an official two tier system where never shall the two meet other than the World Cup where the big boys want to hand out a spanking.

Poor

It's not all bad, the world cup as it is now wasn't really working, between the unfair draws (Romania and Tonga were done dirty), bad schedules (tier 2 sides not getting a full weeks rest between games in previous world cups), this may be better for them.

So long as there is promotion/relegation, this is better than what we have now.  Waiting for the scraps of tier 1 nations in the AI series doesn't do a whole for growth. Now tier 2 sides will have a full schedule of games instead of sporadically playing between world cups.

The draw was a mess due to being done too early is all

This league is a farce. It gets rid of summer and autumn internationals which was the time when at least the 6ns teams would play tier 2 team. We played Georgia, Samoa, Tonga. These teams now will only play is in world cups until 2030. Japan and Fiji have snuck in and will be laughing all the way to progression and the bank. Everyone else is now ring fenced out of a game against the big guns for 7 years.

Rumour has it the draw for the 2027 RWC is just before Christmas this year.

Nah. That’s what went wrong last time which they have acknowledged

The draw for 2027 will be done after the 2026 6ns I believe

tigertattie wrote:Nah. That’s what went wrong last time which they have acknowledged

The draw for 2027 will be done after the 2026 6ns I believe

Just enough time for Scotland to drop down the rankings

The aim for teams this time will be to have a top 6 ranking. That way you are top seed in the new format. 7th and 8th spot will be risking a draw with someone nasty.