Wallabies drawn with All Blacks for Rugby World Cup, quarter-final clash with Springboks for winner looms

The Wallabies will face the might of the All Blacks along with minnows Chile and Hong Kong in pool play at the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.

The draw was held at Nine headquarters in North Sydney on Wednesday night and World Rugby boss Brett Robinson pulled out the names of the fierce Bledisloe Cup rivals as the headline acts in Pool A.

The Wallabies didn't get out of the pool stages in France in 2023 but progress should be simpler in a new 24-team format.

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A round of 16 knockout phase will be held for the first time with the winners then progressing through to the quarter-finals.

The pool game schedule will be announced next year but a clash between the Wallabies and the All Blacks in Perth looms as an obvious blockbuster to kick off the tournament on October 1.

Two-time champions Australia and three-time winners New Zealand have never played in the same World Cup pool before.

"It would immediately excite players, it would excite all the fans, you're likely to get influx coming across the Tasman and you're going to get great support," Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt said on Stan Sport's coverage.

"I think it would be a great way to kick it off."

The Wallabies are ranked seventh in the world after a disappointing 2025 season.

Schmidt will coach three more Tests next year before handing the reins to Queensland Reds boss Les Kiss ahead of the World Cup.

"I was on a call with Les and a couple of other staff for 75 minutes earlier today, and then we had another call at the end of the day, so we're very connected on what's happening around the Wallabies," Schmidt said.

"But I want to make sure that he gets a really good run with the Reds... and then he'll join us for some of the time in that July window, and then he'll take over the next two Tests, against Japan.

"To get a fresh voice, I think it could really help just give a little bit more energy to the players again."

Hong Kong will be making their World Cup debut in 2027. They qualified by thrashing Korea 70-22 in the final round of the Asia Rugby Championship.

The Wallabies have also never played world No.17 Chile before.

The top two teams in each pool qualify for the round of 16 along with the four best third-placed teams.

Double defending champions South Africa were pooled with Italy, Georgia and Romania in a strong scrummaging Pool B.

The draw means that the winner of the Wallabies vs All Blacks clash may well be on a collision course to meet the Springboks in the quarter-finals.

South Africa and New Zealand are currently ranked No.1 and No.2 in the world, and met in the 2023 final, with the likely quarter-final scenario thus leaving rugby fans scratching their heads.

If the Wallabies finish second in Pool A, they would play the second-placed finishers in Pool E in their first knockout match.

If the current rankings hold, that would mean a last 16 clash with Eddie Jones' Japan before a quarter-final against England.

Ireland will face familiar foes Scotland in Pool D, which also features Uruguay and Portugal.

In-form England, who won the World Cup last time it was held in Australia in 2003, were drawn in Pool F along with Wales, Tonga and Zimbabwe.

France will take on Japan, the United States and Samoa in Pool E, while Argentina will face Fiji, Spain and Canada in Pool C.

The World Cup will take place in seven cities around Australia.

- with Reuters

2027 RUGBY WORLD CUP DRAW

Pool A: New Zealand, Australia, Chile, Hong Kong

Pool B: South Africa, Italy, Georgia, Romania

Pool C: Argentina, Fiji, Spain, Canada

Pool D: Ireland, Scotland, Uruguay, Portugal

Pool E: France, Japan, USA, Samoa

Pool F: England, Wales, Tonga, Zimbabwe