Rugby World Cup 2027
A highlight of the 2027 sporting year is the Rugby World Cup, an event that rolls around every four years and always provides great drama. Will the mighty Springboks make it a three-peat? They won the title in 2019 in Japan and in 2023 in France in great style. Or will a dark-horse like host Australia rebound to add yet another title? Or will the All Blacks go one better than their runner-up finish in the last two editions. Our RWC ’27 betting guide will run you through everything you need to know, including the latest RWC odds, teams competing, players to watch, how to bet and much more.
Quick links
– Rugby World Cup top try-scorer betting
– Rugby World Cup match results and running tally of leading try-scorers
– How to watch the Rugby World Cup
RWC27 betting tips
Can the host nation France rise to new heights this time around?
South Africa and Australia are dual winners of the William Webb Ellis Cup, and they can never be ruled out, but they seem to be a long way off the pace of the All Blacks, so New Zealand’s greatest challengers may come from the north.
Can Ireland, so dominant in the Six Nations in 2018, provide a fairytale result, even though they have never even made the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup? They were favoured to do well in 2015 but were embarrassed in the quarter-finals 43-20 by Argentina.
England also have a point to prove after not even making the knockout rounds on their home turf.
Our rugby boffins at the World Gambling List have run the rule over the contenders and pretenders and here’s our breakdown of rugby union’s biggest event…
Quick guide to 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan
First match: Japan v Russia, September 20, 2019, at Tokyo Stadium, Chofu.
Defending champions: New Zealand (defeated Australia 34-17 in the final at Twickenham, London, in 2015).
The draw: There are 20 teams split into four pools. Each team plays all pool rivals once and the top two teams from each pool qualify for the quarter-finals. There are 40 pool matches in total.
RWC pools
- POOL A: Ireland, Scotland, Japan, Russia, Samoa.
- POOL B: New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, Namibia, Canada.
- POOL C: England, France, Argentina, United States, Tonga.
- POOL D: Australia, Wales, Georgia, Fiji, Uruguay.
RWC quarter finals
- Quarter-final 1: winners Pool C v runners-up Pool D – Oita Stadium, Oita.
- Quarter-final 2: winners Pool B v runners-up Pool A – Tokyo Stadium, Chofu.
- Quarter-final 3: winners Pool D v runners-up Pool C – Oita Stadium, Oita.
- Quarter-final 4: winners Pool A v runners-up Pool B – Tokyo Stadium, Chofu.
RWC semi finals
- Semi-final 1: winners QF1 v winners QF2 – International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama.
- Semi-final 2: winners QF3 v winners QF4 – International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama.
RWC finals
- Bronze final: losers SF1 v losers SF2 – Tokyo Stadium, Chofu.
- Final: winners SF1 v winners SF2 – International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, November 2, 2019.
Results of past RWC tournaments
| Year | Winners | Runners-up | Score | Host nation/s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | New Zealand | France | 29-9 | Australia/NZ |
| 1991 | Australia | England | 12-6 | UK, Ireland, France |
| 1995 | South Africa | New Zealand | 15-12 | South Africa |
| 1999 | Australia | France | 35-12 | Wales |
| 2003 | England | Australia | 20-17 | Australia |
| 2007 | South Africa | England | 15-6 | France |
| 2011 | New Zealand | France | 8-7 | New Zealand |
| 2015 | New Zealand | Australia | 34-17 | England |
| 2019 | South Africa | England | 32-12 | Japan |
| 2023 | South Africa | New Zealand | 12-11 | France |
| 2027 | Australia |
Rugby world rankings
Rugby world rankings are correct as of January 29, 2024.
- South Africa
- Ireland
- New Zealand
- France
- Argentina
- Scotland
- England
- Australia
- Fiji
- Italy
Betting on RWC pool winners
Markets are available with allmajor bookies on who will win each group at RWC 2019 and the only team we could consider backing from a value standpoint is Argentina in Group C. The Argentines are around $5.50 in early betting and are third favourites for the group behind England ($1.50) and France ($4.33). If they can continue their improvement, by the time the teams head to Japan we expect them to have shortened up considerably in this market.
Who will win the 2027 Rugby World Cup?
The top chances and what fans can expect from their team:
- New Zealand: Red-hot favourites and anything other than lifting the William Webb Ellis Cup will be considered a failure by their fanatical fans. This pressure for perfection can weigh heavily upon teams but the All Blacks have delivered in style at the previous two World Cups and we think they will make the final again in Japan. Coach Steve Hansen has compiled an incredible record and another title will be the icing on the cake as he comes to the end of his reign.
- South Africa: One gets the sense that the Springboks could be again building towards something special. Their best is certainly good enough, as they showed with a rare victory over the All Blacks in 2018 in New Zealand. They have a superstar at fullback in Willie le Roux.
- Australia: Have a great record in this event, but their form has been patchy to say the least. Coach Michael Cheika needs to revitalise his squad and quickly as there are calls for him to be replaced. It would be a major surprise to see the Wallabies claim their third World Cup title.
- England: Have plenty to prove after the disaster of the World Cup in 2015 when they could finish only third in their group behind Australia and Wales. Still up there with the best in the northern hemisphere and Australian coach Eddie Jones is vastly experienced and has coached in Japan.
- Ireland: Huge expectations on the men from the Emerald Isle after a grand slam in the Six Nations in 2018. They are at the pointy end of the IRB rankings but now most prove themselves on the biggest stage. Have a class act in Jonathan Sexton steering them around the park from fly-half. Finally beat the All Blacks after 110 years of trying with a 40-29 win in Chicago of all places in 2016. The Irish have a golden generation of players and will believe this is their time.
- Wales: Outside chance of making it through to the last few and along with Ireland and England are the best of the Northern Hemisphere chances. Scored a Grand Slam win in 2019 Six Nations and that has raised expectations that they could be dangerous. Also drawn in the same pool with the struggling Wallabies so could emerge top of the group without surprising anyone.
- France: You never really know what to expect with Les Tricolores, but they have made the final three times in the eight World Cup tournaments so far, so they should be respected. The Gallic flair in the backs and brutality up front could come to the fore but they have been off the pace for several seasons.
Rugby World Cup bet types
The Rugby World Cup is set to be one of the betting events of this year and will be a major player during this time. Some of the bet types we expect to be offered during the World Cup are:
- Head to head: This is when you bet on who wins the match. For example Australia might be 2.10 outsiders against New Zealand, priced at 1.60.
- First try scorer: You bet on which player you think will be the first try scorer in the game. The sportsbooks will offer fixed odds before matches on who will score first.
- Parlay or multi-bet: This is when you put on a succession of bets on one ticket. The number of legs you add and the odds of each outcome determine how much you could win. For instance, you might have Australia to win at 1.10, England to win at 2.20 and Tonga to beat Fiji at 4.50. These odds would then be multiplied by the amount you wagered.
- Outright tournament winner: This is a futures market which is available to bet on, often years out from the start of the Rugby World Cup. This is also one of the most popular betting markets overall with Rugby bettors.