If the Wallabies are to fight their way to a World Cup triumph in front of their home crowds in 2027 they must first face off with arch-rivals New Zealand in the pool stages. The showdown between the traditional TransTasman rivals was set in stone at the tournament’s draw in Sydney on Wednesday night and will likely launch the six-week campaign of the 11th Rugby World Cup at Optus Stadium in Perth on 1 October 2027.
The Wallabies will enter their home Cup outside the top seedings, ranked No 7 in the world and coming off a winless European tour for the first time since 1958. “We didn’t have a good November, it’s impossible to hide from that,” coach Joe Schmidt admitted last night of Australian rugby’s first 10-loss season. “It was an emotional rollercoaster of a year. But there were glimpses … and we can build on those glimpses.”
