Ireland’s fixtures for Men’s Rugby World Cup Australia 2027 have been confirmed, with dates, venues, kick-off times and ticket prices now in place for all 52 matches of the expanded 24-team tournament.
The full match schedule was unveiled today alongside ticketing details, allowing teams and supporters to begin planning for a six-week tournament that runs from 1 October to 13 November, 2027.
Ireland will feature during a pool phase shaped around weekend fixtures, with organisers confirming a deliberately fan-focused calendar designed to maximise attendance and global broadcast reach.
Ireland will open against Portugal on Monday, October 4th in what will be a 07:15 start Irish Time. The game against Scotland will be on Sunday, October 10th at 10:45.
Ireland’s pool campaign will conclude a fixture against Uruguay as part of a historic “Super Sunday” on 17 October, when five Rugby World Cup matches will be staged in a single day for the first time in the tournament’s history.
Ireland’s game is at 04:45 Irish time. That day will also feature Italy v Georgia, Scotland v Portugal, France v Samoa and South Africa v Romania.
Overall, the tournament will be played across 19 match days, with matches clustered heavily around weekends and only two Monday fixtures scheduled across the six-week competition, one of which coincides with an Australian public holiday. Tournament organisers say the structure balances player welfare with fan experience, while ensuring strong attendances across all host cities.
The opening match will take place in Perth | Boorloo on 1 October, as hosts Australia face Rugby World Cup debutants Hong Kong China. The Wallabies will then travel east to Sydney | Gadigal and Brisbane | Meeanjin for the remainder of their pool matches, spreading the tournament’s opening momentum across the country.
To mark the launch of the schedule, Rugby World Cup winner John Eales and current Australia international Joseph Suaalii carried the Webb Ellis Cup to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, joined by 24 young people from local rugby communities representing each of the competing nations.
The 2027 tournament will be the first men’s Rugby World Cup to feature a 24-team format, expanding the competition and introducing a new round of 16 stage. Pool winners and runners-up will qualify automatically for the knockout rounds, with the four best third-placed teams also progressing.
Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney will host the round of 16, with quarter-finals scheduled for Brisbane Stadium and Stadium Australia in Sydney on 30 and 31 October. Sydney will then host the semi-finals, bronze final and the final itself, which will be played at Stadium Australia on Saturday, 13 November.
Ireland and the other competing nations have been assured a minimum of five rest days between matches, while kick-off times have been selected to account for local climate conditions and to maximise global television audiences across multiple time zones.
Ticketing details were also confirmed, with first access available via an exclusive presale from 18 February for fans who have registered in advance. Adult tickets will start from AUD$40, with children’s tickets priced from AUD$20. Tournament organisers confirmed that one million tickets will be available at AUD$100 or less, with up to six pricing categories per match.
Demand has already proven strong, with hundreds of thousands of fans registered for the presale following the rapid sell-out of Superfan Passes last year. Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis through the official Rugby World Cup ticketing platform, with purchase limits in place to ensure broad access.
World Rugby chair Brett Robinson said the release of the schedule marked the beginning of the tournament journey for teams and supporters alike, while Men’s Rugby World Cup Australia 2027 managing director Chris Stanley highlighted the weekend-focused structure and accessible pricing as central to delivering a festival-style event across all seven host cities.
Image Credit: World Rugby
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