South screwed by rigged RWC draw
World Rugby has engineered a 2027 World Cup draw that unfairly punishes the Springboks and All Blacks while gifting the north a free passage, writes MARK KEOHANE.
Writing for the Sunday Times, Keohane argues that the draw “tilts the field” in favour of the northern hemisphere, placing the world’s No 1 and No 2 sides – the Springboks and All Blacks – in the same half of the draw.
He says the outcome “is not incompetence, it’s by design,” and again shows World Rugby’s eagerness to soften southern hemisphere dominance.
Keohane notes that South Africa and New Zealand, winners of seven of the 10 World Cups, could meet in a quarter-final – an outcome he calls “sporting malpractice dressed up as tournament administration.”
Meanwhile England, beneficiaries of the structure, avoid either giant until a potential final.
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He writes that the pattern mirrors the 2023 debacle, when the sport’s four top-ranked teams were “jammed into one side of the competition.” The 2027 version, he insists, repeats “the farce” despite renewed criticism from around the rugby world.
“The north has contributed one champion in four decades,” Keohane says, arguing the draw is a deliberate attempt to increase their chances. By contrast, the Springboks – four-time champions – are given a tougher route despite three consecutive years finishing No 1 in the world rankings.
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Keohane says if the Boks and All Blacks meet in the quarter-finals in Australia, “don’t praise the drama or call it fate,” but rather recognise it as “a rigged route for England that disrespects annual consistency and diminishes the credibility of the tournament.”