Springboks 2027 RWC Fixtures revealed

February 3, 2026 75

The Springboks will begin their quest for an unprecedented fifth Rugby World Cup title on Sunday, 3 October, when they face Italy in their opening pool match.

World Rugby announced the fixtures for the 2027 Rugby World Cup on Tuesday.

The expanded tournament will be staged across eight venues in Australia and will feature 24 nations for the first time, with the introduction of a round of 16 ahead of the quarter-finals.

Host nation, Australia will kick the tournament off on Friday, 1 October, against Hong Kong.

Coach Rassie Erasmus and his charges will begin their bid for a third successive World Cup title, against the Azzurri in Adelaide on the opening weekend of the competition. The clash will be followed by pool games against Georgia in Brisbane a week later, before rounding off the group stage against Romania on 17 October in Perth.

Erasmus highlighted the logistical challenges that could lie ahead should the Springboks advance to the knockout stages.

“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,” Erasmus said.

RWC Fixtures:

Pool stages:
Sunday, 3 October – 14h15 (05:45 SA time): SA v Italy (Adelaide Oval)
Sunday, 10 October – 16h45 (08:45 SA time): SA v Georgia (Brisbane Stadium)
Sunday, 17 October – 19h15 (13:15 SA time): SA v Romania (Perth Stadium)

Round of 16:
Saturday, 23 October and Sunday, 24 October (Perth Stadium/Docklands Stadium, Melbourne)

Quarter-finals:
Saturday, 30 October and Sunday, 31 October (Stadium Australia, Sydney/Brisbane Stadium)

Semi-finals:
Friday, 5 November and Saturday, 6 November: Stadium Australia, Sydney

Final:
Saturday, 13 November – 20h00 (11:00 SA time): Stadium Australia, Sydney

🇮🇹 Adelaide 03/10/27
🇬🇪 Brisbane 10/10/27
🇷🇴 Perth 17/10/27#Springboks‘ #RWC2027 pool fixtures are locked in – more here: https://t.co/UNlgs8lk8N 🤝#ForeverGreenForeverGold pic.twitter.com/nyMGdefhvC

— Springboks (@Springboks) February 3, 2026