The marquee event of the sporting year. The 2027 Men's Rugby World Cup runs from 1 October to 13 November 2027 across Australia, and it's a landmark edition: the first to feature 24 teams, contesting 52 matches in seven cities — Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Newcastle and Townsville.
Hosts Australia open the tournament against Hong Kong China on 1 October in Perth.
Format change: Expanding from 20 to 24 teams adds a new knockout round and opens the door to emerging rugby nations on the sport's biggest stage.