SPRINGBOKS TO OPEN RUGBY WORLD CUP WITH MATCH AGAINST ITALY

The reigning champions, South Africa, will play Italy in the opening match of next year's Rugby World Cup, while hosts Australia will play debutants Hong Kong, the organisers revealed Tuesday.

At the 60,000-seat Perth Stadium, the event will begin on October 1 with Australia, the two-time champions, playing the new guys in Pool A. After the All Blacks play Chile a week earlier, the Wallabies take on three-time champions New Zealand in the group's most anticipated match on October 9 at Sydney's Stadium Australia.

On October 3, holders South Africa take on Italy to start their quest for a record-breaking third consecutive championship. They will then play Georgia the following week and Romania seven days later. "To kick off our campaign against Hong Kong will be special, given it's their first time in a World Cup and we always feel incredibly well supported in Perth," Harry Wilson, captain of Australia, said. Sydney, New Zealand, a week later, will undoubtedly be a huge event. Personally, I'm excited that our third pool match will take place in Brisbane, where I live, versus Chile, one of the World Rugby nations that is gradually improving. It will be a formidable task.

In an extended competition with 24 teams for the first time, England's match against Wales on October 16 and Ireland's match against Scotland on October 10 are two more high-profile group-stage matches.

Zimbabwe will play Wales in their opening match on October 2 in Adelaide, marking their first participation in the competition since 1991. On the same day, Antoine Dupont's France starts their campaign in Melbourne against the United States. "The wait is over," declared Brett Robinson, chair of World Rugby. Teams and supporters have been anticipating this moment, which marks the beginning of their Rugby World Cup 2027 journey. With careful consideration for player welfare, fan pleasure, and global reach, we have put together the most captivating match calendar to date."