Wales to open 2027 World Cup against Zimbabwe as Australia countdown begins
Wales will start their 2027 Rugby World Cup against Zimbabwe in Adelaide on 2 October.
The tournament begins a day earlier, on 1 October in Perth, with hosts Australia facing Hong Kong China. It ends with the final in Sydney on 13 November. BBC Sport
The 2027 event in Australia is bigger than before. It has grown from 20 to 24 teams, with the number of groups — called pools in rugby — rising from four to six.
Wales, coached by Steve Tandy and ranked 11th in the world, are in Pool F. They will face England, Tonga and Zimbabwe.
Their route is now clear. After Zimbabwe in Adelaide, Wales meet Tonga in Melbourne six days later. They then play England in Sydney on 16 October.
It is a short group stage with little room to stumble. Form will matter, because the new format still rewards consistency.
Sixteen teams will reach the knockout rounds. The top two from each of the six pools go through, joined by the four best third-placed teams.
If Wales win Pool F, they will play the runner-up from Pool B. That pool contains reigning champions South Africa, who top the world rankings, alongside Italy, Georgia and Romania. If Wales finish second in Pool F, they will face the second-placed side in Pool C, made up of Argentina, Fiji, Spain and Canada.
The business end is all in Sydney. The Olympic Stadium will host both semi-finals, the bronze-medal match and the final.
For fans, this means a familiar rivalry with an extra edge. Wales against England on 16 October is the standout of the group. The expanded last-16 also gives teams a second way to survive, even with one slip in the pool.
The countdown is already moving fast. Organisers say more than half of tickets had been secured by the one-year-to-go milestone, with 52 matches planned across seven host locations over six weeks from 1 October to 13 November 2027. World Rugby
Before that, Wales have a packed winter. They play Japan in Cardiff on 7 November, New Zealand in Cardiff on 14 November and Australia in Cardiff on 21 November in the 2026 Nations Championship, a new annual competition for leading Test nations. The play-off matches follow on 27-29 November at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.
The Six Nations then picks up early in World Cup year. Wales travel to France on 6 February and to Scotland on 13 February in the 2027 championship.
Tandy held alignment camps with more than 50 players in September as he builds depth. The World Cup squad will be cut to a final 33. The Welsh Rugby Union has not publicly confirmed opponents or the number of warm-up games in August and September.
That preparation follows a tough rebuild. Wales won three of 12 Tests in Tandy's first season in charge, beating Japan, Italy and Fiji.
