Rugby World Cup Seedings Nearly Finalized with One Twist Remaining

The Rugby World Cup 2027 seedings are nearly finalized, following a decisive match in Edinburgh. Scotland’s commanding 56-0 victory over Tonga secured their position and concluded the remaining uncertainties regarding the pool-stage seeding bands.

Confirmed Seedings for Rugby World Cup 2027

With this win, the final 24-team grid has been established ahead of the draw scheduled for Wednesday in Sydney. Tonga’s defeat eliminated their chance to rise to Band 3, which would have pushed Samoa into Band 4.

Key Outcomes from Recent Matches

• Scotland’s victory against Tonga sealed the seedings for the tournament.
• Samoa’s recent draw with Belgium in Dubai proved detrimental, affecting their band placement.
• Chile maintained their spot in Band 3 by staying competitive against Italy.

The pool bands are set to provide a diverse competition. The Rugby World Cup 2027 will introduce 24 teams for the first time, with Australia as the host nation securing an automatic position in Pool A. While Australia will be drawn from Band 2 based on their final ranking, their pool placement is confirmed.

Automatic Qualifiers and Pathways

Aside from Australia, eleven teams qualified by finishing in the top three of their pools at the Rugby World Cup 2023, including:

• Argentina
• New Zealand
• Fiji
• Japan
• England
• France
• Ireland
• Italy
• Scotland
• Wales
• South Africa

The remaining twelve teams entered through the global qualifying pathway, including:

• Georgia
• Portugal
• Romania
• Spain
• Zimbabwe

(Africa’s representative)

• Hong Kong China

(Asia’s qualifier)

• Canada
• Tonga
• USA
• Uruguay

(South America)

• Chile

(regional playoff winner)

• Samoa

(through repechage draw)

Finalized Bands for the Tournament

The confirmed bands for the Rugby World Cup 2027 are as follows:

The finalized bands provide an exciting outlook for the Rugby World Cup 2027, setting the stage for a thrilling competition among diverse teams.