The group stage draw for the Rugby World Cup Australia 2027 has defined the paths of the 24 national teams that will participate in a historic edition, the first with this expanded number of teams. For Los Pumas, luck placed them in Group C alongside Fiji, Spain, and Canada, a scenario that, at first glance, seems accessible but will require consistency to avoid surprises.
Logistics will be a key factor in this World Cup: the teams will have to travel across a vast country, with seven venues distributed among Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Newcastle, Sydney, and Townsville. The complete fixture will be determined on February 3, 2026, which will establish how each team will move throughout the tournament.
The revamped format also changes the competitive dynamic. The six groups of four teams enable a broader knockout stage, where the top two from each group and the four best third-placed teams will advance, which introduces the round of 16 for the first time. The total number of matches increases from 48 to 52, although the champion will still play seven games.
The crossover distribution between brackets gives a slight advantage to the winners of Groups E and F, who will face the runners-up from Groups B and D in the round of 16. In addition, the structure guarantees that in the quarterfinals there will be two teams that finished second in the initial phase, facing the winners of E and F if they meet expectations.
Meanwhile, for Los Pumas, the outlook moving forward is more complex. If the national team manages to finish first in its group, the round of 16 matchup would be against the third-placed team from one of Groups A, E, or F. Advancing past that stage would lead them to face, in the quarterfinals, the winner of Group D, where Ireland is the favorite. The bracket even allows for a possible semifinal clash against the winner of Group F (England or Wales) and a potential final with Australia, if the host reaches the last match.
The scenario changes completely if Felipe Contepomi's team advances as runner-up, since the round of 16 opponent would be the runner-up from Group F, which almost guarantees a clash with the English or Welsh in an early stage of the tournament.
