Last updated 8 September 2026. Fixtures and broadcast details verified against World Rugby and ITV announcements.
Australia, October 2027. The biggest Rugby World Cup ever played: 24 teams, seven host cities, a new round of 16, and a Wales pool with England waiting at the end of it.
When is the Rugby World Cup 2027?
1 October to 13 November 2027, across Australia. The expanded format means 52 matches and, for the first time, a round of 16 before the quarter-finals.
Wales’ fixtures: Pool F
Wales drew England, Tonga and Zimbabwe. Two winnable games, then a probable pool decider against the old enemy in Sydney.
| Date | Fixture | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Sat 2 October 2027 | Wales v Zimbabwe | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide |
| Fri 8 October 2027 | Wales v Tonga | Docklands Stadium, Melbourne |
| Sat 16 October 2027 | Wales v England | Stadium Australia, Sydney |
Finish in the top two and Wales reach the round of 16. Under the new format even third place can be enough, as one of the best-ranked third-placed sides.
How the new format works
2027 is the first World Cup at 24 teams, up from 20, and the maths changes what a pool campaign is worth.
The 24 are split into six pools of four. Each team plays three pool games. The top two from every pool go through, plus the four best third-placed sides, which makes 16. That is the new round of 16, sitting in front of the quarter-finals for the first time.
Fifty-two matches in all. The practical effect for Wales is a safety net that did not exist before: losing to England in Sydney need not end the tournament.
Where it is being played
Eight stadiums across seven cities. The opening match is in Perth, and Stadium Australia in Sydney takes both semi-finals, the bronze final and the final itself.
| City | Stadium |
|---|---|
| Sydney | Stadium Australia, Sydney Football Stadium |
| Perth | Perth Stadium |
| Brisbane | Brisbane Stadium |
| Melbourne | Docklands Stadium |
| Adelaide | Adelaide Oval |
| Newcastle | Newcastle Stadium |
| Townsville | North Queensland Stadium |
How to watch
ITV holds exclusive UK rights, so every one of the 52 matches is live and free on ITV and ITVX. Kick-off times will favour the early risers, because Australian evening games land in the UK morning. We will add UK kick-off times when they are confirmed.
Every Rugby World Cup final
| Year | Host | Winner | Runner-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | France | South Africa | New Zealand | 12-11 |
| 2019 | Japan | South Africa | England | 32-12 |
| 2015 | England | New Zealand | Australia | 34-17 |
| 2011 | New Zealand | New Zealand | France | 8-7 |
| 2007 | France | South Africa | England | 15-6 |
| 2003 | Australia | England | Australia | 20-17 aet |
| 1999 | Wales | Australia | France | 35-12 |
| 1995 | South Africa | South Africa | New Zealand | 15-12 aet |
| 1991 | Five Nations | Australia | England | 12-6 |
| 1987 | NZ & Australia | New Zealand | France | 29-9 |
Who has won it
| Nation | Titles | Years |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 4 | 1995, 2007, 2019, 2023 |
| New Zealand | 3 | 1987, 2011, 2015 |
| Australia | 2 | 1991, 1999 |
| England | 1 | 2003 |
South Africa’s 2023 win made them the first nation to win four, and they did it having won three knockout games by a single point.
Wales at the World Cup
Wales’ World Cup history is a story of nearly. Third place at the first tournament in 1987 remains the high-water mark, with the 2011 and 2019 sides both reaching the semi-finals and finishing fourth, each time losing by a score. In 2023 Wales topped their pool before falling to Argentina in the quarters.
Wales also hosted the 1999 tournament, when the final at the Millennium Stadium went to Australia.
And England at a World Cup stirs a particular memory: the 28-25 win at Twickenham in 2015, in England’s own tournament, that knocked the hosts out at the pool stage. Sydney 2027 has a lot to live up to.
Betting on the World Cup
Outright markets are open now and pool-winner betting on Pool F will move all the way to that Sydney game. Odds are on the DragonBet rugby union page, and our betting glossary explains any term here you have not met before.
18+. Please gamble responsibly. Free confidential support is available from GambleAware on 0808 8020 133, and you can self-exclude from all UK-licensed online operators through GAMSTOP.
Sources: World Rugby tournament schedule and ITV rights announcement; World Cup final results per the tournament’s published history. Correct as of 8 September 2026.
