Pumas get accessible draw at Australia 2027 Rugby World Cup

The Pumas, the Argentine rugby union men’s national team, will play Fiji, Spain and Canada in Pool C of the 2027 Rugby World Cup, after Wednesday’s draw was announced in Sydney, Australia.  The South American team is considered the favourite of the group as the seeded team and the highest ranked one in the World Rugby men’s ranking.  As defending 2023 semifinalists, the Pumas are expected to make it to the final stages of the  tournament, which starts in October 2027 In the draw, the Argentines managed to avoid heavyweights Australia and Scotland. The host team will match up against neighbours New Zealand in pool A, leading to the biggest clash in the group stage. Fiji will be the Pumas’ toughest competition in the group stage. The Oceanic island nation could’ve been a seeded team themselves with a few better results in the build-up to the draw, as they are eighth in the World Rugby men’s ranking.  Meanwhile, Spain is making a return to the Rugby World Cup after 28 years, while Canada will look to break out of the pool stage for the first time since 1991, when they reached the quarter finals. New format The next Rugby World Cup  will see a new 24-team format, which grants qualification to the knockout stage to the top two teams of each pool, but also to the four best third placed-teams.  This gives plenty of chances for the Pumas to push through. Should Argentina qualify top of their group as expected, they’re likely to meet the third placed team in Pools A, E or F, potentially Chile, the U.S. or Tonga. The 2027 Rugby World Cup will run from October 1 to November 13. The tournament will feature the largest number of teams and matches in its history.  World Rugby is set to announce the schedule on February 3, 2026, with seven venues — Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Newcastle, Sydney, and Townsville — hosting the matches. Argentina will aim to improve on its 2023 performance, where it reached the semi finals for the third time ever. The Pumas’s best performance in a Rugby World Cup came in 2007, when they went on to win the bronze medal, beating home team France 34-10.