The All Blacks have drawn hosts Australia in Pool A of the 2027 Rugby World Cup – the first time the trans-Tasman rivals will face off in the pool stage of the tournament.
The other two teams in the pool are Chile and Hong Kong China, the latter nation having qualified for their first World Cup.
New Zealand’s draw was confirmed at an event in Sydney tonight.
While the match schedule will not be released until February 3, it appears a formality that the All Blacks will play the Wallabies in the opening game in Perth on October 1, 2027.
Wallabies captain Harry Wilson, discussing the draw afterwards on the broadcast, was in no doubt who his nation’s first opponents will be.
"Playing New Zealand in the opening match of the World Cup – it doesn’t get much better than that,” Wilson said.
Current head coach Joe Schmidt, who will give way to Les Kiss in the middle of next year, added: “It’s a trans-Tasman battle which I think both teams are going to love.
“I think it would be a great way to kick if off.”
World champions South Africa are in Pool B alongside Italy, Georgia and Romania.
The pools are:
Pool A: New Zealand, Chile, Australia, 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
The next World Cup will be the first to feature six pools of four (24 teams in total), rather than the four pools of five (20 teams) held previously.
It will also feature a “round of 16” for the first time following the pool stage. From that knockout match, the tournament will feature quarter-finals, semifinals and a final as usual.
There will be 52 matches in total, rather than the 48 matches of past tournaments, but no team will play more than seven matches – as is traditional.
The permutations of New Zealand being drawn in Pool A could potentially put them on a quarter-final collision course with South Africa if both nations top their pools and win their round of 16 match.
Facing the Boks, clearly the No.1 side in the world at the moment and who thrashed the All Blacks in this year's Rugby Championship, in a quarter-final would not be particularly appealing for the nation's fans or potentially head coach Scott Robertson.
The Boks beat the All Blacks 12-11 in the final of the last World Cup in France.
Should the All Blacks finish second in their pool, their quarter-final opponents will almost certainly be the top team in Pool F which is likely to be England.
The All Blacks, who have lost only one World Cup pool match dating back to the first tournament in 1987 - to hosts France in 2023 - last lost to Australia in 2020.
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