The 2027 World Cup will start on October 1, 2027. In Australia, 24 nations will compete for the Webb-Ellis Trophy, the prize awarded to the winning team in rugby union's premier global competition. The last two World Cups were dominated by South Africa's national team, known as the Springboks. Following their dramatic 42-38 victory over Australia in Perth, all upcoming international matches will be played less than a year before the World Cup in Oceania. Using the latest World Rugby rankings, here is the current order of the 15-a-side national teams. At the top of the rankings, South Africa (93.09 points) and New Zealand (91.15) hold the highest positions. These two teams have historically been the most successful in the World Cup, as seen in the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry, a series of matches between the two nations. Ireland (88.08) completes the top three, with France (87.43) close behind. However, France's ranking might not fully reflect its current strength, as the team has frequently reorganized its squad during summer tours, often leading to losses. England (85.68) also maintains a strong position, while Australia (85.55) has shown strong performance in 2026, overtaking Scotland (84.78). Argentina (82.24) rounds out the top tier of teams. Further down the rankings, five nations stand out as potential upsets against the top teams. Japan (77.28) and Fiji (76.81) are ahead of Wales (76.38) and Italy (76.30), with Georgia (73.94) also showing a consistent presence in international rugby. These teams aim to qualify from their groups, with some hoping for their first appearance in the World Cup knockout stages. This year, for the first time in the competition's history, the quarterfinals will include teams from developing rugby nations, offering them a chance to compete in a knockout match. Among the remaining 11 teams, several are aiming for historic qualification. Portugal (69.39), the United States (67.58), Chile (66.94), Uruguay (65.75), Tonga (65.14), and Samoa (64.73) are among those hoping to reach the knockout stages. Romania (62.45), Canada (62.29), Hong Kong China (60.74), and Zimbabwe (57.68) also aim to make an impact, with Belgium (61.03) being the only team in the top 24 that has not qualified for the 2027 World Cup. Namibia, which has previously participated in the World Cup, is ranked 26th with 56.96 points but has not qualified for this edition. The current world rankings also help assess whether the six groups are balanced. In the 2023 World Cup draw in France, the group allocations were criticized for being uneven. To check for balance this time, the points of all teams in each group can be summed. This analysis suggests that group F is currently the weakest, while group D is the strongest.