By Zim Sport Live Writer
Zimbabwe’s senior men’s national rugby team, the Sables, will discover their group opponents for the 2027 Rugby World Cup when the official draw takes place on Wednesday, 3 December, at 09:00 GMT in Sydney.
The tournament, set for October 1 to November 13 in Australia, marks Zimbabwe’s first World Cup appearance since 1991.
The expanded 24-team format includes 12 automatic qualifiers—among them South Africa, New Zealand, France, Ireland and England—who finished in the top three of their pools at the 2023 event.
African champions Zimbabwe progressed through regional qualifying alongside Georgia, Spain, Portugal, Tonga, Canada, the United States, Uruguay, Chile, Hong Kong, Romania and Samoa.
Zimbabwe enter the draw in Band 4, meaning they will be grouped with one top-ranked nation from Band 1, one mid-tier side from Band 2, and one Band 3 qualifier.
Hosts Australia are seeded in Band 2 despite being guaranteed a place in Pool A.
Under the new format, the top two teams from each pool and the four best third-place finishers will reach the round of 16.
The knockout structure has drawn debate, with critics warning of imbalance, though organisers insist it will even out in later stages.
The Sables’ long-awaited return to the global stage is a major milestone for Zimbabwean rugby, with Wednesday’s draw set to determine the scale of their challenge in Australia.
Current seedings ahead of Rugby World Cup draw
Band 1: South Africa, New Zealand, England, Ireland, France, Argentina
Band 2: Australia, Fiji, Scotland, Italy, Wales, Japan
Band 3: Georgia, Uruguay, Spain, United States, Chile, Tonga
Band 4: Samoa, Portugal, Romania, Zimbabwe, Canada, Hong Kong