Rugby World
The Greatest Rivalry Tour between South Africa and the All Blacks is retro rugby at its finest and should signal a return for old school tours

The Greatest Rivalry Tour is a rugby throwback (Getty Images)Paul Williams believes the All Blacks' Greatest Rivalry Tour of South Africa is the perfect mix of old and newPaul Williams believes the All Blacks' Greatest Rivalry Tour of South Africa is the perfect mix of old and new [...]

PREM Rugby stadiums: A guide to the capacities, histories and quirks of the venues England’s top clubs call home

Franklin’s Gardens, home of Gallagher PREM champions Northampton Saints, was a great place to watch rugby last season (David Rogers/Getty Images)A tour around the 10 Gallagher PREM rugby grounds, from venues established in the Victorian era to modern, purpose-built arenas.PREM Rugby stadiums are a proper mixed bag. A journey fom Exeter Chiefs’ Sandy Park in the south-west to Newcastle …Continue reading » [...]

Ireland rugby fixtures: 2026-27 schedules for the men’s and women’s teams

Upcoming men’s Ireland rugby fixtures include the northern hemisphere leg of the Nations Championship and the 2027 Six Nations (Steve Christo/Getty Images)This Rugby World guide includes kick-off times and (where available) venue information for men’s and women’s Ireland rugby fixtures in 2026 and 2027.A guide to all the Irish men and women's fixtures [...]

South Africa rugby fixtures: When the Springboks and Springbok Women are in action 2026-27

Next up for Siya Kolisi and his team are four challenging South Africa rugby fixtures against the All Blacks (Juan Jose Gasparini/Gallo Images/Getty Images)All we know about South Africa rugby fixtures in 2026 for the men and women's teams, including the Nations Championship, Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry and WXV.Every upcoming Springboks and Springbok Women fixture in one place [...]

Sharks v All Blacks live streams: How to watch Tuesday’s Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry match for FREE

Watch Sharks v New Zealand to see if the All Blacks can continue their winning start to the Greatest Rivalry tour in Durban (Rodger Bosch / AFP via Getty Images)New Zealand could face double World Cup-winning legend Ma’a Nonu in the second game of their South Africa tourWatch Sharks v New Zealand, as Dave Rennie’s tourists attempt to make it two wins out of two at the …Continue reading » [...]

New Zealand rugby fixtures 2026-27: When the All Blacks and Black Ferns are playing

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - JULY 18: Patrick Tuipulotu of New Zealand celebrates scoring his team's first try during the Nations Championship match between New Zealand All Blacks and Ireland at Eden Park on July 18, 2026 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Kai Schwoerer - Nations Championship/Nations Championship via Getty Images)Every confirmed New Zealand rugby fixture, with dates for Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, WXV, Men’s Rugby World Cup and the Women’s British & Irish Lions tour.Every upcoming All Blacks and Black Ferns fixture in one place [...]

England rugby union fixtures 2026-27: Upcoming matches for the men’s and women’s teams

The Red Roses have a packed schedule of England rugby union fixtures, kicking off with the WXV Global Series in September (Warren Little/Getty Images)Your complete guide to confirmed England rugby union fixtures, including the Nations Championship, WXV, the 2027 Six Nations and the 2027 Men’s World Cup.Your complete guide to confirmed England rugby union fixtures, including the 2026 schedules for the autumn fixtures [...]

How to watch Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour 2026: Official broadcasters, TV & streaming guide for South Africa vs New Zealand

Watch the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry action as the All Blacks tour South Africa for the first time since 1996 (Rodger Bosch / AFP via Getty Images)The All Blacks are in South Africa to play the Springboks in their own backyard. Here’s how to follow every second of the tour.Watch Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry live streams, as the All Blacks embark on their first tour of South Africa since 1996. …Continue reading » [...]

Confused by rugby’s newest international rugby tournament? Here’s all your Nations Championship questions answered

The Springboks have defeated England, Scotland and Wales in South Africa to top the southern hemisphere table (Floris van Schouwenburg - Gallo Images/Getty Images)The biggest sides in the northern and southern hemispheres clash in the new international competition that resumes in November. Here’s everything you need to know...The Nations Championship has brought together the rugby giants of the Six Nations and the Nations Championship – along with …Continue reading » [...]

Nations Championship 2026: Results, fixtures, TV channels and all you need to know about the new biennial international rugby competition

Along with the Springboks, the All Blacks are one of the only unbeaten sides in the new Nations Championship (Dean Purcell/New Zealand Herald via Getty Images)Everything you need to know about the Nations Championship including results, fixtures, competing teams and moreEverything you need to know about the new Nations Championship [...]

How to watch Argentina vs South Africa: stream today’s test from anywhere

Watch Argentina v South Africa as the Springboks prepare for their Greatest Rivalry series against the All Blacks (David Rogers/Getty Images)Don’t expect the Pumas to see themselves as a warm-up act for the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour...Watch Argentina v South Africa as Rassie Erasmus’s double world champions head to South America as part of their preparations …Continue reading » [...]

Japan v Australia live streams: How to watch Saturday’s Test from anywhere

Watch Japan v Australia as the Wallabies' Les Kiss era gets underway in Osaka (Koki Nagahama/Getty Images)Les Kiss’s men fill a Rugby Championship-shaped hole with a trip to Osaka.Watch Japan v Australia as new Wallabies boss Les Kiss leads out his side for the first time at the …Continue reading » [...]

Australia 2027

QUALIFICATION PROCESS

BIG 12 AUTOMATIC SPOTS
> As hosts Australia qualify automatically for the 2027 tournament with another 11 teams gaining automatic qualification by finishing in the top three positions in their pools in the 2023 World Cup. Those teams are: South Africa, New Zealand, England, Argentina, Ireland, France, Wales, Fiji, Scotland, Italy and Japan. The remaining 12 spots in the 2027 expanded 24-team format will be allocated through teams competing in a global qualification process.

Four of those spots have already gone to the semi-finalists in the Rugby Rurope Championship, with semi-finalists Georgia, Spain, Portugal and Romania all qualifying for Australia 2027. The winner of the fifth-place play-off will earn a ticket to the Final Qualification Tournament in November, when one place in Australia 2027 will go to the winner of the tournament.

EUROPE – 4 TEAMS
Qualification matches: January-March 2025
> The four teams that reach the semi-finals of the Rugby Europe Championship 2025 will qualify directly for Australia 2027. Nations involved: Belgium, Georgia, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Switzerland.
The winner of the fifth-place play-off will secure their ticket to the Final Qualification Tournament (see below).

ASIA – 1 TEAM
Qualification matches: June-July 2025
> The Asia Rugby Championship 2025 winners will qualify directly for Australia 2027.
Nations involved: Hong Kong China, Korea, Malaysia and United Arab Emirates.
The runner-up in the tournament will progress to the Asia/Africa Play-off (see below).

AFRICA – 1 TEAM
Qualification matches: July 2025
> The Rugby Africa Cup 2025 champions will qualify directly for Australia 2027. Nations involved: Algeria, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Namibia, Senegal, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The runner-up in the tournament will progress to the Asia/Africa Play-off (see below).

SOUTH AMERICA – 1 TEAM
Qualification matches: July-September 2025
> The Sudamerica Rugby Championship 2025 winners will secure their place at Australia 2027, with the runner-up qualifying for the South America/Pacific Play-off (see below) and the third-placed team joining the line-up for the Final Qualification Tournament (see below). Nations involved: Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay.

PACIFIC – 3 TEAMS
Qualification matches: August-September 2025
> The top three teams in the Pacific Nations Cup 2025 (other than already-qualified Fiji and Japan) will qualify for Australia 2027. The sixth-placed team will join the South America/Pacific Play-off (see below). Nations involved: Canada, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Tonga and the United States.

SOUTH AMERICA/PACIFIC PLAY-OFF – 1 TEAM
Qualification matches: September 2025
> A home-and-away play-off between the runner-up and the team finishing sixth in the Pacific Nations Cup. The winner qualifies for Australia 2027, while the loser will join the Final Qualification Tournament (see below).

ASIA/AFRICA PLAY-OFF
Qualification matches: September 2025
> The Rugby Africa Cup 2025 runner-up will play the Asia Rugby Championship runner-up in a home-and-away play-off. The winner qualifies for the Final Qualification Tournament (see below).

FINAL QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT – 1 TEAM
Qualification matches: November 2025
> The final qualification tournament will comprise one pool of four teams, playing in a round-robin format with the winner - on competition points - qualifying for Australia 2027. The four teams will comprise the Sudamerica Rugby Championship 2025 third-place team; the South America/Pacific Play-off loser; the Rugby Europe Championship 2025 fifth-placed team; and the Africa/Asia Play-off winner.

The full Australia 2027 qualifying process explained

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Categories

BBC

Before their second Test against Australia, Eddie Jones reveals an interesting method he uses to coach Japan - watching videos of geese fly in formation. [...]

Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Alex Coles, Guy Pepper, Jack van Poortvliet and Seb Atkinson are handed England central contracts for the first time as Steve Borthwick shakes up his squad. [...]

England's Red Roses are in pre-season training before the upcoming WXV Global Series and have been using the controversial smaller balls. [...]

Premiership champions Northampton Saints appoint Fraser Dingwall as their new club captain. [...]

Former All Blacks star Ma'a Nonu responds to the haka by performing one of his own before his side, the Sharks, take on New Zealand in Durban. [...]

Ospreys respond publicly to WRU plans for the first time with the belief four professional Welsh sides is the way forward. [...]

Northampton Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson says the partnership with Bedford Blues is "valuable" to both clubs. [...]

Reading owner Rob Couhig says the club have had "serious discussions" with Bath about the Prem Rugby club playing at their stadium. [...]

Ulster captain Iain Henderson will miss several months of the new season after hip surgery during the summer. [...]

Gloucester Rugby confirm they will not be returning to Villa Park to face Leicester Tigers in the Prem next season. [...]

Saracens' England 'A' centre Angus Hall signs a new contract with the Prem club. [...]

Sale Sharks hooker Alfie Longstaff signs a new deal to remain with the Prem club until 2029. [...]

Northampton Saints name Jim Henry as their new defence coach following the departure of Lee Radford. [...]

Wing Lisa Neumann returns from injury as head coach Sean Lynn names 14 uncapped players in a 46-strong squad preparing for four autumn Tests. [...]

Watch the highlights as England hold on to beat Argentina in a chaotic match in the Nations Championship with the hosts having a last-gasp try controversially ruled out. [...]