Rugby World Cup rules changed to make it even harder for England to win in 2027
Rugby World Cup to be expanded to 24 teams in 2027
England’s hopes of going one better at the next Rugby World Cup in four years’ time have been hit by plans announced by World Rugby on Tuesday, with major changes being made to the format of the tournament. The current edition of the World Cup is still ongoing with New Zealand taking on South Africa on Sunday, but plans for the 2027 tournament – to be held in Australia – will see it expanded from 20 to 24 teams and introducing another knockout round, making it harder for England to win.
The World Rugby Council passed a vote for the expansion on Tuesday, having refused to discuss the idea of a break-off tournament for lower-reputation nations earlier this month. And their decision may have been justified, with Australia the most high-profile victim to crash out in the group stage, while smaller nations such as Portugal and Fiji gave a respectable account of themselves.
It is the most radical change to the World Cup format since it was founded in 1987, with 24 teams set to take part in Australia, and while it may not impact England as one of the top rugby teams in the world, the increase in nations will have an impact on the structure of the tournament and path to the latter stages.
Teams that finished in the top two of their group in this year’s tournament have already secured qualification, which includes England, Ireland and Wales.
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A draw will also be held much closer to the 2027 tournament, with the 2019 rankings used to seed teams for the 2023 World Cup draw causing a heavily-slanted side of the draw with Ireland, South Africa and Scotland all in the same group. World Rugby say this change will give them “greater control of key decisions and more financial risk”.
The 2027 Rugby World Cup has been given a start date of October 1, 2027 and the final will be played on November 13. The 11th edition of the tournament will have five groups instead of four due to the eight-team increase.
While qualification for the 2023 tournament saw teams go straight to the quarter-finals, there will now also be a round of 16 included in the competition before the last eight. With this, the new format will reduce the length of the tournament from seven weeks to six. The semi-finals, bronze final and grand final will then take place afterwards.
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The announcement arrived at the same time as World Rugby’s plans for a new global men’s tournament, which is set to be introduced in 2026. However, the new tournament has caused some panic in the world of rugby, as some fear it could wreck the current state of the international game.
In the announcement, World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont defended the decision and insisted it is “not acceptable to do nothing” as they look to improve the sport’s global appeal. “The decision to expand Rugby World Cup 2027 to 24 teams is logical and the right thing to do,” he said.
“Underpinned by a new global calendar that increases certainty and opportunity, we are focused on raising standards, closing the gaps and creating a spectacle that fans demand to see. With its love of sport and major events, Australia is the perfect place to do just that.”
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