The Springboks will return to Adelaide for only the second time ever when they kick off their 2027 Rugby World Cup campaign against Italy on Sunday, 3 October, before heading to Brisbane and Perth to face Georgia and Romania in their two remaining pool matches, respectively.
World Rugby announced RWC 2027 schedule, that will play out in eight different venues across Australia, on Tuesday in Sydney.
New format
The new format will see a Round of 16 playing out on the weekend of 23 and 24 October, with the quarter-finalS set to be hosted a week later on 30 and 31 October in Sydney and Brisbane, the semi-finals on 5 and 6 November, and the Final on Saturday, 13 November – all at Stadium Australia in Sydney.
The Springboks, who will have their sights set on trying to win their third successive RWC title, will line up against Italy in their opening match of the spectacle at the Adelaide Oval – where their only previous Test was against Australia in 2022 – at 05:45 (SA time) on Sunday 3 October, which will be followed by clashes against Georgia at the Brisbane Stadium on Sunday, 10 October (08:45), and Romania at Perth Stadium on Sunday, 17 October, (13:15).
The winner and runner-up in each of the six pools and the four best-placed third teams will then advance to the Round of 16.
Should the Springboks finish first or second in Pool B, their first playoff match will be hosted in Perth, while the quarter-final will play out in Sydney, which is also the host venue for the semi-finals and final.
Warm-up match
The Springboks are hoping to secure a warm-up match in June before launching their 2026 season in July with clashes against England in Johannesburg (4 July), Scotland in Pretoria (11 July), and Wales in Durban (18 July) as part of the new Nations Championship.
They will then meet the All Blacks in four Tests in the inaugural Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series in August and September, which includes two matches in Johannesburg, and one each in Cape Town and Baltimore.
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This will be followed by an away Test against the Wallabies in Australia (27 September), with the venue to be confirmed, before the second leg of the Nations Championship in Europe at the end of the year, which will feature matches against Italy (7 November), France (14 November), and Ireland (21 November).
Springbok Rugby World Cup 2027 fixtures:
Pool stages
Sunday, 3 October – 14:15 (05:45 SA time): South Africa vs Italy (Adelaide Oval)
Sunday, 10 October – 16:45 (08:45 SA time): South Africa vs Georgia (Brisbane Stadium)
Sunday, 17 October – 19:15 (13:15 SA time): South Africa vs Romania (Perth Stadium)
Round of 16
Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 October (Perth Stadium/Docklands Stadium, Melbourne)
Quarter-finals
Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 October (Stadium Australia, Sydney/Brisbane Stadium)
Semi-finals
Friday 5 and Saturday 6 November: Stadium Australia, Sydney
Final
Saturday 13 November – 20:00 (11:00 SA time): Stadium Australia, Sydney
