2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia will feature 24 teams

The Rugby World Cup in 2027 will feature 24 teams instead of 20 and it will be hosted by Australia, the International Rugby Federation announced on Tuesday.

During the next World Cup in Australia in 2027, the 24 teams will be divided into six groups of four before the round of 16. The timeline for holding the competition will be shortened to six weeks.

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The new competition will feature the Six Nations teams from Europe – France, England, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Italy, in addition to New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Argentina and two other invited teams.

From 2030, a second division will be created, which will also consist of 12 teams. The matches will take place in July in the Southern Hemisphere and in November in the Northern Hemisphere, with the final also in November.