The Boks have faced all three their pool opponents in Rugby World Cups before – Romania in 1995 and 1999, Georgia in 2003, and Italy in 2019.

The draw was done in Australia on Wednesday morning (SA time), with the 24 participating teams split into four bands according to their world rankings, with the teams randomly selected into the six pools.

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus was satisfied with the pool draw as they continue to put the building blocks in place to stake a claim for a possible third RWC title in a row.

“We are pleased with the pool we have been drawn in, but this is a World Cup, and every team will go out there with great passion and do their utmost to represent their nations with pride,” said Erasmus.

“There have been surprises in the tournament before, so we’ll need to be up mentally and physically for every match.”

Erasmus added: “Italy may be ranked 10th in the world, but they showed us what they are capable of when they hit their straps earlier this season, even though the scorelines may not have reflected that.

“Georgia and Romania are also extremely physical and passionate teams, and we’ve faced them before, so we know how tough they can be on the day if we give them space and opportunities to play to their potential.”

Hosts Australia have been drawn in Pool A with New Zealand, Chile, and Hong Kong China; while Pool C features Argentina, Fiji, Spain, and Canada.

Ireland have been drawn in Pool D with Scotland, Uruguay and Portugal; Pool E will see France, Japan, 2031 RWC hosts the USA, and Samoa being pitted against one another’ while England, Wales, Tonga, and Zimbabwe will battle it out in Pool F.

With the number of participating teams increasing from 20 to 24 and 52 matches playing out in the global extravaganza, the tournament will now feature six pools as opposed to four, with the winners of Pool A, B, C, and D taking on the four best third-placed teams, while the winners of Pool E and F will face the runners-up from Pool B and D. The runners-up in Pool A and C, in turn, will meet the second-placed teams from Pool E and F in the Round of 16.

The draw was hosted in Australia on Wednesday and was based on the world rankings for the 2025 season, which determined the placement of the 24 teams into four bands of six for the draw.

The extravaganza will be hosted from 1 October to 13 November 2027 across seven cities in Australia – Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Newcastle, Sydney, and Townsville – with the matchday schedule set to be announced on Tuesday, 3 February 2026.

Rugby fans will have an opportunity to secure seats during an exclusive two-week presale window starting on 18 February 2026.

For more news and information, including how to access tickets in the presale and secure your tickets, visit rugbyworldcup.com/2027.

Rugby World Cup 2027 Pools
Pool A: New Zealand, Australia, Chile, Hong Kong China
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

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As a result, the Bok Women will face New Zealand in their quarter-final at 14h00 next Saturday afternoon, while France will take on Ireland on Sunday.

The Bok Women entered the last round of pool matches as potential dark horses after two impressive performances against Brazil and, in particular, Italy that seemed to bely their world ranking coming into the tournament.

However, they were given a reality check by the team ranked fourth in the world as the match, which was billed as a pool decider, was effectively over as a contest by half-time as France scored four first-half tries, mixing up their game brilliantly against a SA side that showed wholesale changes from their victory over Italy.

Things were quite evenly poised early on, with France scoring an unconverted try before Byrhandré Dolf landed a penalty goal to make it 5-3.

The French scored a second try but then disaster struck as Chumisa Qawe was sin-binned for a high tackle, which was upgraded to a 20-minute red card.

France added three more tries to their tally in the time South Africa only had 14 players on the field before the Bomb Squad was sent on.

The replacements made a difference, but the Bok Women couldn’t capitalise and instead, France finished with two late tries, but the last say belonged to Nadine Roos, who was rewarded for a superb performance with a sublime individual try.

Scorers:

Springbok Women 10 (3) – Try: Nadine Roos. Conversion: Byrhandré Dolf. Penalty goal: Dolf.

France 57 (24) – Tries: Emilie Boulard (2), Gaby Vernier, Charlotte Escudero, Agathe Gerin, Joanna Grisez (2), Annaelle Deshaye, Alexandra Chambon. Conversions: Lina Queyroi (2), Morgane Bourgeois (4).

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The Bok Women followed up a 66-6 win over Brazil in their first pool game with a 29-24 victory over Italy – a team ranked four places above them – to clinch a first appearance in the knockout stages of the showpiece tournament at the fifth attempt later this month in England.

Mr Alexander praised the work of the players and coaching staff for delivering a “remarkable victory”.

“On behalf of the South African Rugby Union, I extend my deepest admiration and pride,” he said.

“You have made history, and you have made us proud. It was a performance that transcended sport. It was not only a remarkable victory – it was a demonstration of what it means to be South African.

“You showed grit, determination, and belief in one another, and have inspired the whole nation. You showed us once again that rugby is more than a game for us – it is a force for unity, pride, and hope.”

The Springbok Women led from the first minute, after a try by No 8 Aseza Hele, but twice saw the Six Nations regulars level the scores before closing out victory with a fifth try, by Sinazo Mcatshulwa, in the 74th minute.

Mr Alexander said the performances in England would inspire the next generation of young players.

“Your courage on the field will have lit a fire in the hearts of young girls and women players everywhere in SA to dream of wearing the green and gold,” he said.

“This team carries the flag with dignity and heart. You played not just for the scoreboard, but for every community in South Africa. Your performance was a statement of identity – of who we are and what we stand for.”

The Bok Women complete their pool programme with a match against world number four, France – ranked eight places above them at the start of the tournament – at Franklin’s Gardens in Northampton at 17h45 (SA time) on Sunday.

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For the second day in succession, the York Community Stadium threw up a RWC classic with the Springbok Women triumphing 29-24 over Italy in a thriller thanks to Sinazo Mcatshulwa’s try six minutes from time.

Scores from Aseza Hele, Nadine Roos, Ayanda Malinga and Sizophila Solontsi had twice put Swys De Bruin’s side in front but a valiant Italian side fought back on both occasions.

But in the end, it was the southern hemisphere outfit who prevailed, and the emotion was there for all to see from those in green come full-time as referee Ella Goldsmith’s whistle was met with wild celebrations.

With the game taking on the role of a quasi-knockout match, South Africa made a blistering start beneath the Yorkshire sunshine as they opened the scoring inside two minutes.

Right from Libbie Janse van Rensburg’s kick-off, the Springbok women put Italy under pressure, forcing the opposition to concede an early scrum.

And it was from that set piece in which South Africa pounced, as Bok No 8 Hele dribbled the ball forward from the base of the scrum before collecting and powering over the whitewash.

That early score sparked Italy into life and Alyssa D’Inca began to test the South African defence, but the Bok Women stood firm, as two superb tackles thwarted the wing’s progress on two separate occasions.

The game was stopped for several minutes on the 10-minute mark when Sara Tounesi remained down after an attempted chop tackle. Despite leaving the field on a stretcher, the Italy lock joined in with the round of applause she received which everyone inside the York Community Stadium was pleased to see.

South Africa threatened to extend their lead and were gifted a chance to do so on 16 minutes after Italy were penalised for a non-straight lineout.

From there, South Africa’s dominant pack won a penalty from the scrum which gave Janse van Rensburg the chance to drive her team further into Italy’s half. A rolling maul ensued and Lindelwa Gwala looked all set to score before the referee blew for obstruction.

But the team in green and gold weren’t to be denied and Janse van Rensburg’s sumptuous dummy opened up the Italian defence. With teammates either side of the Bok flyhalf, Roos was the player picked out to dot the ball down midway through the first half. Byrhandré Dolf added the extras to give her side a 12-0 lead.

Fabio Roselli’s team refused to lie down however and responded by scoring their first points of this year’s World Cup just four minutes later.

South Africa looked to have done enough to prevent their copybook from being blotted thanks to Roos’ heroic last-ditch tackle to stop Aura Muzzo, but Italy were able to continue their attack and Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi finished the move off.

The opening 40 minutes continued to ebb and flow as momentum shifted between both sides.

A South African scrum in the centre of the field initially didn’t present Italy with an immediate threat, but the only African representatives at England 2025 had other ideas.

The ball was moved quickly out wide before Roos darted through a gap in the Italian defence. The Bok fullback then offloaded brilliantly – timing her pass to perfection – to Malinga who capped off the thrilling team move.

A lapse in concentration from Dolf six minutes before half-time proved costly for the Springbok women as the wing drifted into touch when catching a hopeful Italian high ball.

The resultant lineout allowed Italy to bash themselves towards the South African tryline and hooker Vittoria Vecchini was able to crash over after good work from Silvia Turani in the build-up.

Having led 17-12 at the break, Italy regained parity in proceedings seven minutes into the second half through a cleverly worked lineout.

Vecchini’s throw found its way back to her via Francesca Sgorbini and the front rower duly drove towards the South African line. Sgorbini ably supported her teammate and was on hand to receive the ball back from Vecchini to confirm the game-levelling score.

Just like the pulsating 31-31 draw between USA and Australia on the same ground less than 24 hours before, it was clear another titanic tussle was unfolding.

South Africa edged back in front just before the hour mark as Solontsi burrowed over following a relentless spell of pressure. Dolf’s second conversion made it a seven-point game, but Italy once again dragged themselves back onto an even keel as Sara Seye’s converted try set up a grandstand finish.

This was a game that no team deserved to lose but Mcatshulwa’s late try made sure it was South Africa who claimed the spoils in front of the 6045-strong crowd.

Scorers:

Springbok Women 29 (17) – Tries: Aseza Hele, Nadine Roos, Ayanda Malinga, Sizophila Solontsi, Sinazo Mcatshulwa. Conversions: Byrhandré Dolf (2).

Italy 24 (12) – Tries: Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi, Vittoria Vecchini, Francesca Sgorbini, Sara Seye. Conversions: Michela Sillari, Beatrice Rigoni.

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That is the view of the Springbok Women centre Zintle Mpupha as they prepare to face Italy in a crucial Pool D clash at the York Community Stadium in three days’ time.

“We started very well and we are happy that we did, but it will all fall flat on Sunday if we don’t repeat that type of performance,” said the 31-year-old midfielder.

“We did get the momentum needed, but it is also important to put that good win behind us as Italy will be a new challenge, one that we need to do this all over again.”

Italy’s abilities are well-known, with their last encouter less than a year ago resulting in a close win for the European side, but Mpupha feels that result can be overturned.

“This is the biggest game in our lives, if we get past Italy we will be in a strong position to qualify for the play-offs, which was what we came here for,” she said.

“They are a very skilled team with good attacking skills, but so are we. It is going to be a wonderful match to be involved in.

“Some of the tries we scored against Brazil were really well executed,” Mpupha added, crediting their excellent ball runners for those.

“We scored some nice tries – we have very balanced runners out wide and well as power runners closer to the pack and they combined nicely. It was great to play that kind of rugby in front of a good crowd at Northampton.

“The crowds have been great in the first round of matches and we cannot wait to go out there and experienced more of that here in York.”

Mpupha had an impressive outing at Franklin’s Gardens, making 148 metres with 14 ball carries, and completing 10 of her 11 tackles.

She noted with a smile the reaction the Springbok Women “Bomb Squad” evoked last weekend, saying that they had tagged onto the concept made popular by the Springboks.

“It is really great to have a whole bench of energy coming onto the field, it certainly provides the remaining players with a nice boost,” she reflected on the introduction of all eight finishers after 50 minutes of play against Brazil.

For Mpupha, who is South Africa’s leading try-scorer with 20 five-pointers in 27 Tests, the weekend could see an extention of that achievement. However, that is not where the focus is for her, but rather what she can do for the team.

“We have a new job at hand and this week was all about ourselves and how we prepared to be at our best come Sunday,” she said.

“Knowing that you represent your country, family and supporters is a massive boost and to combine that with clarity on the task at hand and a willingness to leave everything out there, gives me confidence for this very important match.”

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Victory against the Italians will secure a top two finish for the Bok Women and a guaranteed place in the quarter-finals of the tournament.

The team went through their paces at St. John Community University in York and their attitude brought smiles to the faces of the coaching staff, with Bok Women assistant coach Franzel September very pleased with the intensity and technique from the squad.

“It was good to get back to zero again after the good win over Brazil on Sunday and the journey to York yesterday,” said September.

“We started afresh today, with the sole focus for the next couple of days on our match against Italy and what we want out of it. We saw some good things from the Brazil game and celebrated that victory, but that is in the past now. Italy is all at that matters.”

Unlike the South Africans, who excelled in the set piece on the weekend and stole four of their opponents’ lineouts, Italy had mixed results in that phase of play against France on Saturday in their tournament opener, but September said that is not necessarily a good thing for them.

“They had some issues in the France match, but they have time to fix it,” he said. “We would of course wanted them to be off the pace against us, but I doubt if that will be the case as that will be a definite work-on for them in the week.”

The SA coach said their focus remains the same for the round two match at the York Community Stadium on Sunday.

“In any World Cup you have to close the chapter after each game and start a new one with a different focus,” said September.

“We wanted to get going and gain some momentum in doing so. The 10-try win gave us all of that, but we are mindful that we need to start afresh against Italy.

“They are a very experienced side with a very good kicking game, so will challenge us in different ways to what Brazil did. We need to be ready for that. We pride ourselves on our set piece and I believe our power game will deliver the result we want this weekend.”

September said their previous two Tests against Italy, both in WXV 2 in Cape Town, showed the progress of the Bok Women.

In 2023, Italy won 36-18, but last year the Europeans could only manage a 23-19 win over the team in green and gold. With the good form enjoyed by his squad now, September feels confident of overturning the result and beating Italy for the first time.

“We are well prepared, have good momentum and the team have some self-belief that this will be our very best World Cup ever. It is all in our hands,” he said.

The squad for the Italian match will be announced on Friday. Byrhandrѐ Dolf did not train on Tuesday due to a calf strain, but she is expected to be ready for Sunday.

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The victory in their opening match pushed the Bok Women to the top of Pool D after the first round of the tournament concluded at Franklin’s Garden.

De Bruyn was understandably happy after the 10-try romp handed the South Africans the only try bonus point win in Pool D, as France failed to score four tries in their 24-0 victory over Italy on Saturday.

“We have to reset now and all our focus will move to Italy,” De Bruin said of the second pool match, next Sunday in York.

“We wanted a strong start to the tournament and got that, so well done to the players. The starting team laid the perfect foundation and the bench finished strong, so what a deligtful team performance.”

The SA coach praised his pack for good rewards in the scrums, and the backs, who used their opportunities well.

“It was also pleasing that we did not concede any tries,” he said. “Look, Brazil is the lowest ranked team in the tournament and played at this level for the first time, but we still had to play well to put all those points on the board. We delivered an 80 minute effort and I cannot fault the effort.”

De Bruin said there is enough work-ons for the squad ahead of next week’s match against Italy to keep everyone honest and humble.

“We still dropped balls, made poor passes and conceded too many penalties due to a lack of discipline – all things that we need to cut from our game if we want to be effective against Italy next week,” he said.

“The ball protection at times was also not up to standard and our breakdown work needs to be better. We have good momentum though and will use that in our preparation in York this coming week.”

Bok Women captain Nolusindiso Booi praised the players and said their appetite for hard work was telling.

“We really played for 80 minutes,” she said.

“There was a time early in the first half where we lost a little but of structure, but the team came back well. The replacements also did what was expected. Winning a game at the World Cup in such a manner is something I am proud of as captain.”

For Booi, the next week will be vital as they prepare to take on Italy, with a victory confirming their spot in the quarter-finals: “We are not getting ahead of ourselves, they have been in the top ten in the world rankings for a long time and will also hurt after their defeat to France, so we will have to be at our best.”

Booi said the plans for their next match will be laid out in training this week.

“The coaches already have a plan and strategies for that clash,” she said. “They got it spot-on for the Brazil game, so the playing squad have full confidence on what they will prepare for us for next weekend. Our responsibility now is to rest and recover well in order to be ready for this coming week.”

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This highly anticipated match between the two rugby-loving nations will also mark the 30th anniversary of the Springboks historic 1995 Rugby World Cup victory and forms part of the celebrations by SARU to commemorate this historic moment for the country.

The rugby spectacle takes place on Saturday, 12 July and kicks off at 17h10 (CAT) at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape. It will be broadcast live on SABC 2, SABC radio stations and on SuperSport (DStv).

Mr Mark Alexander, President of SA Rugby, said: “The 1995 triumph was a moment that captured the attention of the world – revealing unmatched power of sport to bring people together, to heal deep wounds and to inspire a country that was still finding its feet as a young democracy.

“As SARU, we are working closely with our broadcasters to ensure that all South Africans can be part of this historic occasion.”

Nomsa Chabeli, the SABC’s Group CEO said: “The public broadcaster extends its appreciation to SARU and SuperSport for the spirit in which negotiations took place, to enable us to broadcast this historic match.

“It is important that the SABC is not left out of key national sporting events, which bring the nation together and rugby has been very instrumental in doing that.

“This agreement also highlights the reach that the public broadcaster has in universal access to the nation through its TV and radio platforms, as millions of South Africans will have an opportunity to witness this historic moment.

“We call upon all South Africans to tune in, as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of our Rugby World Cup win in 1995.”

SuperSport CEO Rendani Ramovha said: “SuperSport is pleased to be able to contribute to the country’s celebration of 30 years of Springbok excellence since that unforgettable moment in 1995.

“That moment united the whole country and we are honoured to be involved in helping unite the country once more around the Springboks. This year also marks 30 years of SuperSport as a stand-alone channel and we are proud to share this milestone with the most successful rugby nation in men’s Rugby World Cup history – the Springboks.

“To make this moment special, SuperSport has a variety of activities throughout the year, including the Springbok Dream Team and special broadcasts on Your World of Champions on DStv.”

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The 34-year-old Jordaan played her last Test for the Bok Women at Waitakere Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand in 2022, bringing to a close a 36-cap career, at the time the most played by any South African player.

Come England and RWC 2025, Jordaan – who recently completed World Rugby’s Level 3 coaching course – will return to the global showpiece with the Springbok Women in a coaching capacity, assisting South Africa’s coaching staff as part of World Rugby’s Gallagher High Performance Academy programme.

Incidentally, incumbent Bok Women assistant coach Laurian Johannes-Haupt was in a similar role in 2022, but she has since progressed into a full-time coaching role in SA Rugby’s High-Performance Department.

Jordaan joined the Springbok Women training camp in Stellenbosch last week as the “on-field” element of her high-performance course kicked in, much to the delight of the former flyhalf.

“I really enjoyed the online part of the course thus far and I learned so much from so many experienced coaches in that time,” said Jordaan, who is also assistant coach for the Bulls Daisies, South Africa’s top provincial team.

“It certainly added to my knowledge and composure as a coach. On the field is where I am at my most happy, so to have this opportunity to come and implement those guidelines were as pleasing.

“The fact that I know those players and played with some others at the last tournament has made life easier for me. Also, with Laurian (Johannes-Haupt), who walked this journey before me, also here was another bonus. She has given me good advice where needed, and I can always check-in with her if I am not sure about something.

“What has struck me thus far is the quality of the coaches they have here and how they manage to bring the message across to the players. There is good communication going both ways. The players are asking good questions and what impressed me is the clarity of communication regarding the sessions so far.”

The Bok Women are hoping to improve on their previous best finish at the Rugby World Cup (10th in 2010 and 2014) in England, and Jordaan is quietly optimistic about that.

“So far so good – the 100-day countdown has started, but we should not get ahead of ourselves,” she said.

“The most important thing will be to make the most of each training session and get the maximum value out of that. It might sound far away, but it will go fast from here on in, so the quality of work at training from here on in will be very important.”

Springbok Women performance coach, Swys de Bruin, said Jordaan’s presence is welcome: “We all know what a brilliant player she was and to have the intellectual property of one of the legends in the women’s game around is very positive. As to her role in the coaching set-up, I am adamant about the development of female coaches, as I believe they are the best way forward in the women’s game.

“Zenay is already involved with the best provincial team in the country and to have her around is a benefit to us all. The growth of rugby is about spreading the word, not keeping everything in a secluded group of people,” De Bruin added.

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