RUGBY WORLD CUP
Boks to kick off RWC 2027 campaign in Adelaide
PARIS, FRANCE - OCTOBER 28: Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa, lifts The Webb Ellis Cup following the Rugby World Cup Final match between New Zealand and South Africa at Stade de France on October 28, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Julian Finney - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)
The Springboks will return to Adelaide for only the second time ever when they kick off their 2027 Rugby World Cup campaign against Italy on Sunday, 3 October, before heading to Brisbane and Perth to face Georgia and Romania in their two remaining pool matches.
World Rugby announced RWC 2027 schedule, that will play out in eight different venues across Australia, early on Tuesday in Sydney.
The new format will see a round of 16 playing out on the weekend of 23 and 24 October, with the quarter-final set to be hosted a week later on 30 and 31 October in Sydney and Brisbane, the semi-finals on 5 and 6 November, and the Final on Saturday, 13 November – all at Stadium Australia in Sydney.
The Boks, who will have their sights set on trying to win their third successive RWC title, will line up against Italy in their opening match of the spectacle at the Adelaide Oval – where their only previous Test was against Australia in 2022 – at 05h45 (SA time) on Sunday 3 October, which will be followed by clashes against Georgia at the Brisbane Stadium on Sunday, 10 October (08h45), and Romania at Perth Stadium on Sunday, 17 October, (13h15).
The winner and runner-up in each of the six pools and the four best-placed third teams will then advance to the round of 16. Should the Springboks finish first or second in Pool B, their first playoff match will be hosted in Perth, while the quarter-final will play out in Sydney, which is also the host venue for the semi-finals and final.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus said the announcement of the 2027 RWC match schedule was the first step in ensuring that their planning was pinpoint for the international extravaganza.
MORE: Eight state-of-the-art venues across Australia to host Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027The new format will see a round of 16 playing out on the weekend of 23 and 24 October, with the quarter-final set to be hosted a week later on 30 and 31 October in Sydney and Brisbane, the semi-finals on 5 and 6 November, and the Final on Saturday, 13 November – all at Stadium Australia in Sydney.
The Boks, who will have their sights set on trying to win their third successive RWC title, will line up against Italy in their opening match of the spectacle at the Adelaide Oval – where their only previous Test was against Australia in 2022 – at 05h45 (SA time) on Sunday 3 October, which will be followed by clashes against Georgia at the Brisbane Stadium on Sunday, 10 October (08h45), and Romania at Perth Stadium on Sunday, 17 October, (13h15).
The winner and runner-up in each of the six pools and the four best-placed third teams will then advance to the round of 16. Should the Springboks finish first or second in Pool B, their first playoff match will be hosted in Perth, while the quarter-final will play out in Sydney, which is also the host venue for the semi-finals and final.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus said the announcement of the 2027 RWC match schedule was the first step in ensuring that their planning was pinpoint for the international extravaganza.
“It’s pleasing that we now know where and when we are playing, and we are fortunate that we have played in Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, and Sydney in the last few years in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship,” said Erasmus.
“We can now go full steam ahead with our planning and preparation for the tournament, and we will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that we are as fresh and well prepared as possible for the competition.
“Our operations and logistics team will start getting into the finer details of the travel in the coming weeks, with our pool matches being hosted in different cities, while the coaches and high-performance staff will start having in-depth discussions about how to manage the players during the tournament to get the best out of them on the field.
“The one thing that pops out looking at the schedule is that, should we progress to the playoffs, there will be travel between the round of 16 and quarter-final, which is something we have to factor into our planning, as the flight is just under five hours between Perth and Sydney, and there is a two-hour time difference.
“Over and above that, our likely opponents could be either Australia or New Zealand, and it would be good to see their travel schedules. But obviously, we have to make it through first, which will require a massive effort.
“There’s a lot of hard work ahead in the next 18 months, but we are all very excited for the tournament and we are looking forward to putting the building blocks in place this season and next year before we depart for Australia.”
The Springboks are hoping to secure a warm-up match in June before launching their 2026 season in July with clashes against England in Johannesburg (4 July), Scotland in Pretoria (11 July), and Wales in Durban (18 July) as part of the new Nations Championship.
They will then meet the All Blacks in four Tests in the inaugural Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series in August and September, which includes two matches in Johannesburg, and one each in Cape Town and Baltimore.
This will be followed by an away Test against the Wallabies in Australia (27 September), with the venue to be confirmed, before the second leg of the Nations Championship in Europe at the end of the year, which will feature matches against Italy (7 November), France (14 November), and Ireland (21 November).
Springbok RWC 2027 fixtures:
Pool stages:
Sunday, 3 October – 14h15 (05h45 SA time): SA v Italy (Adelaide Oval)
Sunday, 10 October – 16h45 (08h45 SA time): SA v Georgia (Brisbane Stadium)
Sunday, 17 October – 19h15 (13h15 SA time): SA v Romania (Perth Stadium)
Round of 16:
Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 October (Perth Stadium/Docklands Stadium, Melbourne)
Quarter-finals:
Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 October (Stadium Australia, Sydney/Brisbane Stadium)
Semi-finals:
Friday 5 and Saturday 6 November: Stadium Australia, Sydney
Final:
Saturday 13 November – 20h00 (11h00 SA time): Stadium Australia, Sydney
“We can now go full steam ahead with our planning and preparation for the tournament, and we will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that we are as fresh and well prepared as possible for the competition.
“Our operations and logistics team will start getting into the finer details of the travel in the coming weeks, with our pool matches being hosted in different cities, while the coaches and high-performance staff will start having in-depth discussions about how to manage the players during the tournament to get the best out of them on the field.
“The one thing that pops out looking at the schedule is that, should we progress to the playoffs, there will be travel between the round of 16 and quarter-final, which is something we have to factor into our planning, as the flight is just under five hours between Perth and Sydney, and there is a two-hour time difference.
“Over and above that, our likely opponents could be either Australia or New Zealand, and it would be good to see their travel schedules. But obviously, we have to make it through first, which will require a massive effort.
“There’s a lot of hard work ahead in the next 18 months, but we are all very excited for the tournament and we are looking forward to putting the building blocks in place this season and next year before we depart for Australia.”
The Springboks are hoping to secure a warm-up match in June before launching their 2026 season in July with clashes against England in Johannesburg (4 July), Scotland in Pretoria (11 July), and Wales in Durban (18 July) as part of the new Nations Championship.
They will then meet the All Blacks in four Tests in the inaugural Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series in August and September, which includes two matches in Johannesburg, and one each in Cape Town and Baltimore.
This will be followed by an away Test against the Wallabies in Australia (27 September), with the venue to be confirmed, before the second leg of the Nations Championship in Europe at the end of the year, which will feature matches against Italy (7 November), France (14 November), and Ireland (21 November).
Springbok RWC 2027 fixtures:
Pool stages:
Sunday, 3 October – 14h15 (05h45 SA time): SA v Italy (Adelaide Oval)
Sunday, 10 October – 16h45 (08h45 SA time): SA v Georgia (Brisbane Stadium)
Sunday, 17 October – 19h15 (13h15 SA time): SA v Romania (Perth Stadium)
Round of 16:
Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 October (Perth Stadium/Docklands Stadium, Melbourne)
Quarter-finals:
Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 October (Stadium Australia, Sydney/Brisbane Stadium)
Semi-finals:
Friday 5 and Saturday 6 November: Stadium Australia, Sydney
Final:
Saturday 13 November – 20h00 (11h00 SA time): Stadium Australia, Sydney
Latest News
ADVERTISEMENT
September 21, 2026
Kearsney’s grit shines at the Clifton Water Polo Tournament final
Kearsney’s 1st water polo side finished runners-up at the annual Clifton Water Polo Tournament held over the weekend, where they showcased the team’s resilience and character, particularly in the semi-final comeback and two consecutive matches decided by penalty shoot-outs.
READ MORE
September 18, 2026
SA Rugby confirms U16 Girls EPD squad for 2026 camp
SA Rugby has unveiled the 2026 Under-16 Girls Elite Player Development (EPD) squad, with an extended group of the country's most promising young female players selected following a comprehensive national talent identification process conducted throughout the season.
READ MORE
September 18, 2026
2026 U16 EPD boys squad named for Boland Landbou camp
SA Rugby has announced a 50-player Under-16 Elite Player Development (EPD) squad for 2026, with the country's leading young rugby talent set to converge on Paarl later this month as part of the organisation's continued commitment to strengthening South Africa's national player pathway.
READ MORE
September 18, 2026
Boks to face Fiji in RWC warm-up in Australia next year
The Springboks and Flying Fijians will complete their preparations for the 2027 Rugby World Cup with a final Test at polytec Stadium in Gosford, north of Sydney - to be known as the Contest on the Coast on Saturday, 18 September 2027.
READ MORE
September 16, 2026
Springboks arrive in Australia ready for another massive challenge
The Springboks arrived in Australia from the USA on Wednesday morning local time (late Tuesday night SA time) following their series victory in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, presented by the Castle Double Malt, gearing up for another massive challenge, with Bok coach Rassie Erasmus saying they were ready to begin their preparations for their one-off Test against the Wallabies in Perth.
READ MORE