Organisers of the 2027 Rugby World Cup on Wednesday promised a massive party during the first 24-team tournament, which starts next October in Perth, Western Australia.
Over 44 days, 52 matches will be contested in seven cities throughout the country culminating in the final on 13 November at Stadium Australia in Sydney.
"We're really optimistic and excited," said Brett Robinson, who heads World Rugby. "It's going to be a party like nothing on Earth."
Hosts Australia will launch the 11th edition with a Pool A game against competition debutants Hong Kong China. They will also play New Zealand and Chile.
France, who won the 2025 and 2026 Six Nations tournaments in Europe, will begin their quest for a first title on 2 October against the United States in Pool E at the Docklands Stadium in Melbourne.
France, the 2023 quarter-finalists, will also take on Japan in Brisbane on 9 October and Samoa on 17 October at the Sydney Football Stadium.
New format for expanded tournament
Ireland lost to New Zealand in the last eight in 2023. In 2027, they will play in Pool D with Scotland, Uruguay and Portugal while England feature in Pool F with Wales, Tonga and Zimbabwe.
The top two sides from the six pools of four teams will advance automatically to the last 16 along with the four best third-placed teams.
At the last 20-nation tournament in 2023, the top two from the four five-team groups moved into the quarter-finals.
Organisers say more than 750,000 pre-sale tickets have been secured by fans from 135 countries, led by Australia, Britain, New Zealand, Japan and France.
The most in-demand games so far have been Australia v New Zealand, England v Wales and Ireland v Scotland.
"It's a really good signal," added Robinson, who beat off the challenge of the former France international Abdelatif Benazzi to succeed Bill Beaumont as World Rugby supremo in November 2024.
Champions begin title defence
South Africa will start the defence of their crown with a Pool B game against Italy on 3 October at the Adelaide Oval. They will also face Georgia and Romania.
The South Africans underlined their status as title favourites with a 3-1 series victory over New Zealand in the Greatest Rivalry series in September.
"There have been surprises in the World Cup before," said South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus. "So we'll need to be up mentally and physically for every match."
New Zealand beat France 29-9 in the final at Eden Park in Auckland to brandish the Webb Ellis trophy after the inaugural 16-team competition in 1987.
Australia saw off England four years later in the final and South Africa overcame New Zealand to win the title for the first time in 1995.
After the competition expanded to 20 teams in Wales in 1999, Australia beat France 35-12 in the final to claim their second crown.
"Along the way you're going to play potentially the number one, two and three in the world, and it might not be in the final," said New Zealand skipper Scott Barrett.
"That's the beauty of the World Cup. You're going to have to peak at the right time."
