Rugby power rankings: where the 24 World Cup teams stand one year out from Australia 2027
One year ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, this assessment ranks how the 24 participating teams stand, published on 1 October 2026. The review runs through form, personnel issues and likely challenges each nation faces heading into the tournament in Australia.
The holders, hosts, New Zealand, France and England are singled out as the main reference points in the buildup, while the piece offers a full rundown of all 24 teams taking part in Australia in 2027. Expansion to 24 teams is noted as changing the dynamics of the pool stages and placing a premium on which second-tier sides can cause upsets.
South Africa remain the benchmark despite a loss to Australia last weekend, with their turnaround after Rassie Erasmus emptied his bench described as emphatic. Their series victory over New Zealand — recovering from 1-0 down to win 3-1 — is presented as proof they are the team to beat in Australia next year. Set-piece dominance and physicality are singled out as enduring strengths, though there is discussion that Erasmus must manage an ageing squad; the piece places them on course for a quarter-final against New Zealand and a potential semi-final against France and flags autumn fixtures against France and Ireland as important tests.
New Zealand are portrayed as the closest challengers after summer performances that, despite losing a series to South Africa, showed a return to pace and ball skills under Dave Rennie. Richie Mo’unga is identified as having the chance to stake a claim at No 10 with Ruben Love injured, while Jordie Barrett and Quinn Tupaea form a formidable centre partnership; Leroy Carter’s defensive limits are noted. France are credited with remarkable depth under Fabien Galthié, having run the All Blacks close in New Zealand with hulking forwards to match a strong back division led by Fabien Brau-Boirie and Théo Attissogbe; Emmanuel Meafou has been added to the starting pack but will miss the autumn fixtures, Matthieu Jalibert has been used at full-back, Louis Bielle-Biarrey is called the game’s most lethal finisher and a solution at tighthead prop is listed as the big outstanding question.
Ireland, under Andy Farrell, are placed at the head of the second cluster of challengers, with summer defeat by New Zealand exposing work to be done before autumn and the Six Nations. The fly-half debate is highlighted as unresolved despite summer wins over Australia and Japan strengthening depth, and Sean Jansen’s reputation was enhanced by his summer performances. England are described as good but not yet closing the gap on the elite: their semi-final loss to South Africa in 2023 is recalled and rankings suggest a likely quarter-final against Australia in Sydney; Immanuel Feyi-Waboso is named an x-factor whose fitness will matter.
Australia’s victory over the world champions is framed as a boost for the hosts, even if South Africa fielded a second-string side in that match, and the coaching handover from Joe Schmidt with Les Kiss — under whom Australia remain unbeaten — is credited with progress. The Wallabies are said to possess gifted individuals in Tom Wright, Joseph Suaalii and Fraser McReight but limited depth is flagged as a vulnerability. Scotland are noted as enjoying momentum after summer displays that earned Rassie Erasmus’s declaration of them as the third best team in the world; Gregor Townsend’s side recovered from a difficult autumn to beat England and France in the Six Nations, put Argentina to the sword in the summer and avoided an upset against Fiji, with Sione Tuipulotu described as the world’s finest inside-centre.
Argentina are judged inconsistent: six summer matches produced one win and margins of 10 points or fewer in the others, with a struggling scrum identified as a problem that must be fixed if they are to challenge for a late run. Japan’s campaign under Eddie Jones is recounted with the anecdote that Jones showed his squad videos of geese flying together to improve support play, Japan’s Pacific Nations Cup victory, a heavy defeat by Australia in Townsville, a three-point defeat to the Wallabies at home and a summer win over Italy; Warner Dearns is called a genuinely elite second row and Michael Leitch’s continued experience is noted. Wales are said to show green shoots under Steve Tandy with a win against Fiji, but the overall state of Welsh rugby is described as parlous and Jac Morgan’s fitness emphasised. Italy endured a poor summer with heavy defeats by New Zealand and Australia and a loss to Japan despite a Six Nations win over England earlier in the year; the piece recalls that Italy are the only side to have played in all 11 World Cups to date without reaching the knockout stages. Fiji’s erratic summer is criticised, including a poor display against England in Liverpool and closer scorelines against Scotland and Wales; the players’ demand for more pay prompted chairman John Sanday to say: “We pay them well and they recently demanded more in this camp,” Sanday said. “We couldn’t afford what they were asking for. But we then agreed on an increase in their daily allowance. It’s business now. We need to perform and get wins.”
The expanded field leaves a tranche of nations whose results will determine how competitive the pool stages are, with Georgia and Tonga cited as potential danger teams, Chile and Portugal described as climbing the rankings, and Fiji, Japan and Italy currently the most capable of challenging higher-ranked sides. The piece notes Spain will make its first World Cup appearance since 1999, Uruguay’s inclusion is questioned after a July loss to Hong Kong, Zimbabwe will appear for the first time since the professional era began and countries such as Romania and Canada are listed among those hoping to reproduce Portugal’s upward trajectory from France 2023. Samoa barely qualified, and the disbanding of Moana Pasifika is linked in the article to concerns about a talent drain to the NRL.
Hong Kong has been given the honour of appearing in the tournament opener against the hosts Australia, a confirmed fixture that will open the World Cup in Australia, and the assessment stresses that the entertainment value of pool-stage matches — and the tournament’s early success — will depend on whether second-tier sides can produce meaningful upsets.