bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP Sport

Agencies

Hong Kong will learn the identity of their first-round opponents at an expanded Rugby World Cup 2027 when the draw for the tournament is held on December 3, organisers said on Wednesday.
Hosts Australia will kick off the six-week-long event at Perth Stadium in Western Australia on October 1, against a team to be determined.
The event will end on November 13, with the final at Sydney’s Olympic stadium, which also hosted the climax of the 2003 tournament.
All 24 qualified teams in the expanded format will discover their pool stage opponents via a live video link on December 3.
“I’m thrilled to see the tournament draw date revealed,” World Rugby chairman Brett Robinson said.

“Expanding the men’s Rugby World Cup to 24 teams is a landmark moment for our sport. It means more nations, more matches and more opportunities for fans around the world to connect with rugby.”
The 24 teams will be divided into six groups of four, playing a bumper 52 games, and a round of 16 will be played for the first time.
The last World Cup in France, won by South Africa, featured 20 teams.
World Rugby men’s rankings at the end of the November internationals will be used to create four bands of six teams, with each band drawn randomly into groups A, B, C, D, E or F, and which teams will head each of the six groups, making every win crucial ahead of the draw.
South Africa are currently ranked one ahead of Ireland, New Zealand, France, England and Argentina, with hosts Australia seventh. Scotland, Fiji and Italy round out the top 10.
Hong Kong, who are currently ranked 23rd, are likely to be in the lowest band, as they are ranked higher than only Canada (24th) and Zimbabwe (25th) among the 23 teams that have already qualified.
The city team, who are first-time qualifiers, had been hoping to play back-to-back home tests against Zimbabwe in November, but the African champions pulled out. Now, officials are waiting to see if World Rugby will agree to the city’s men travelling to play Spain and Portugal after they take on Japan A at Kai Tak Stadium on October 24.
The top two teams from each World Cup group plus the four best third-place teams will qualify for the knockout phase.
The first knockout round will see the winners of Groups A, B, C and D play the four best third-place teams, winners of Groups E and F will face the runners-up from Groups D and B, and the runners-up in Groups A and C will meet the second-place teams from Groups E and F.
“The introduction of a round of 16 will deliver even more knockout rugby, ensuring every match counts and every team has the chance to make history,” said Robinson.
“Importantly, we’ve been able to achieve this within a streamlined tournament window that protects player welfare while enhancing the spectacle.
“This is a huge step forward for rugby and a reflection of the game’s global growth.”

The qualification process is almost complete, with the 23rd team confirmed when Chile beat Samoa 31-12 in the South America/Pacific play-off on September 27. The remaining spot will be determined by a repechage tournament in Dubai, featuring Samoa, Namibia, Belgium and Brazil from November 8 to 18.
Sydney had already been announced to host the final and both semi-finals, along with a third-place playoff and a string of other knockout and pool stage games.
The rest of the schedule is split between Brisbane, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth, Adelaide and Townsville.
Some 2.5 million tickets will go on sale in February, with one million priced under A$100 (US$66) in a bid to make it the most family-friendly tournament yet.


2027 Rugby World Cup draw: when is it, how do I watch, who could Hong Kong play?

Coach Eddie Jones tells his Japanese rugby players to beef up after bruising tour

Samoa last team to reach 2027 Rugby World Cup after winning qualifying tournament

Rugby chiefs unveil ‘watershed’ Nations Championship to crown top team, hemisphere

Rugby World Cup 2027

Rugby World Cup 2027: Hong Kong to know identity of first-round opponents in December draw

Hosts Australia will kick off the 2027 Rugby World Cup on October 1 at Perth Stadium in Western Australia, against a team to be determined. Photo: AFP

Hong Kong qualified for the Rugby World Cup by beating South Korea in July. Photo: Patrick Leung

Chile (in red) clinched the 23rd spot in the tournament by beating Samoa last Saturday. Photo: EPA

New faces, old heads and surprising omissions as Hong Kong enter new professional era

Josh Hrstich is expected to lead the side during the training camp and against Japan A next month. Photo: HKCR

Nathan de Thierry is one of a number of players based overseas who are not in this squad. Photo: HKCR

Coleman Wong’s coach issues scam warning after Wire app fraud targets star’s fans

Coleman Wong Chak-lam will play at Ultimate Tennis Showdown next month. Photo: Mike Chan

A screengrab from Allemby’s official account warning followers about the fake page. Photo: Instagram/hambitttt

Sport

Rugby

Hong Kong Rugby Union

International Rugby

Fifteens

Hosts Australia to kick off expanded 6-week-long tournament, which will feature a round of 16 for first time


Hosts Australia to kick off expanded 6-week-long tournament, which will feature a round of 16 for first time.


Hong Kong China Rugby

Hong Kong International Test Rugby

World Rugby