Award-winning Frank Quinn looks towards RWC 2027
- Updated: 05/12/2025
By Frank Quinn
IT is December and the opening week of the ERC 2025- 2026. So It is an
ERC week. But it did not stop the RWC from doing their thing in
announcing the detail of the 11th Edition of the RWC , which was first
held in 1987. It belongs to the Southern Hemisphere.
You may not like what I have to say but I will try to fill you in . it
has taken up pages in the newspapers with graphs, maps and charts. Just
forget them! I have the summary here. It has been won Nine Times by the
South. The spell was broken once by England in 2003 in Australia.
Maybe they think they can repeat the win in 2027 and maybe you don’t.
The winners: South Africa won 4, New Zealand 3 , Australia 2, England 1
(South Africa missed the first couple of editions ).
Ireland has never been past the Quarter Final stages, it is a big blot
on our copybook, and we were knocked out twice before the QF’s were run
off (1999 and 2007 ). we were home on the first bus and on the Beach.
In the ten editions to date (1987-2023) – 198 Irish players have been
selected to travel to the finals of the RWC, as part of the Irish RWC
squad, (normally 33 each edition). Some had multiple selections, not
all of them were selected on team squads, some travelled in hope and
did not play in any games.
The RWC is played for every four years since 1987.
Three countries have qualified for all Quarter Finals, France has
qualified for three finals. Eight Countries have qualified for semi finals
We have had Eight different coaches, nine different captains , Irish
referees have officiated at RWC finals.
There is the history.
2027 has 24 countries (6 pools of 4 ) participating in Australia , an
increase of 4 – and 16 countries (of the 24) moving forward to a new
system- with a mystical round of 16, reducing contenders to eight. It
has an increased number of games But still only one winner in Sydney .
At December 2025 I cannot make any break with tradition, nominating
The South as possible winners and ownership of the Cup , Look up the
list of countries for 2027 at your convenience, and and see if you can
pick a winner to break the mould, You would be a brave rugby fan to look
outside of the above Southern contenders to make a make a break through
at the RWC.
The media has tried to analyse to death the newcomers and contenders.
What a waste of space! Know your history, just stick with history
and the top eight you have already written in your diary. You will not
be far away!
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