Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia: a guide for South Africans

Rugby World Cup 2027 is in Australia — and for the South Africans who live here, that's a big deal. For once, the biggest tournament in rugby is coming to us. No 3am alarms for every pool match, no watching through a dodgy stream at a friend's place: the Springboks, as back-to-back world champions after 2019 and 2023, will be playing in our own backyard.

This guide is for Saffas in Australia, and for friends and family planning to fly in. It covers how to prepare, how to find your crowd, and how to make the most of it with Oorsee. We've kept it practical and avoided guessing at details that aren't ours to announce — for fixtures, venues and ticketing, always use the official tournament channels.

Why RWC 2027 is different for Saffas

Australia is home to one of the largest South African communities in the world, spread across Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, the Gold Coast and Adelaide. A home-soil (well, adopted-home-soil) World Cup means:

• Matches at friendly local times instead of the middle of the night.
• A real chance to see the Boks live, in person, without flying to another continent.
• Friends and family from South Africa with a reason to visit.
• Screenings, braais and supporter events in every city with a Saffa community.

Tickets: where to look and what to avoid

Big tournaments draw huge demand, and Springbok matches will be popular. The safest approach is simple: buy through official channels only, and plan early.

Travelling within Australia (and from overseas)

Australia is enormous, and the distances between cities surprise a lot of first-time visitors. Following the Boks between cities can mean flights rather than a quick drive. Once the fixtures and venues are officially confirmed, think about:

• Booking flights and accommodation early — prices in host cities tend to rise around big events.
• Staying with friends — this is where your Saffa network pays off. Somebody always has a spare room or a couch in another city.
• Local public transport to and from stadiums on match days; host cities usually publish event transport plans.

Family and friends flying in from South Africa

• They'll need the right visa or travel authority for Australia — check the Australian Government's Department of Home Affairs website well ahead of time.
• Remind them that Australia's biosecurity rules are strict. Biltong and other food in their luggage must be checked against the official rules and declared.
• Travel insurance is worth sorting early, especially for longer stays.

Watching with other South Africans

Most of us won't get a ticket to every Springbok match — but watching with a crowd of Saffas is half the fun anyway. Expect screenings in pubs, clubs and community venues, and plenty of backyard braais.

• Search Oorsee events in your city for Bok screenings and RWC braais — and add your own.
• Ask in your group: “Where are we watching the Boks in [city]?” gets quick local answers.
• Call pubs ahead to confirm they're showing the match with sound, and book for the big games.
• Wear the jersey. It's the easiest way to spot your mense in a crowd.

Our guide to watching the Springboks abroad has more on finding pubs and supporter groups, and you can always ask in the South Africans Living Abroad Facebook group.

Play Bokke Fantasy for RWC 2027

Oorsee Fantasy — Bokke Fantasy to most of our members — is built for Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia. It gives every match something riding on it, even the ones the Boks aren't in.

• Oorsee Dollars squad game: O$100m to pick 15 starters and 3 on the bench, with a maximum of 4 players per nation. Your captain scores double.
• Real match scoring: tries, kicks, cards and minutes played come from official World Rugby match data.
• Pick'em and Survivor: call the winner and margin of each match, or back one team a week and try to survive to the final.
• Leagues: global and country leagues with a live podium, plus private leagues with your mates on Oorsee+.

It already runs on Springbok tests, URC and Currie Cup matches, so you can learn the ropes well before the World Cup starts. Every member can try it free for a month.

For event organisers and SA businesses

If you're running an RWC screening, a supporter braai or a festival for South Africans in Australia — or you own an SA business that wants to be part of the buzz — list your event in the Oorsee app so local Saffas can find it.

You can also book Oorsee. Steven travels anywhere in Australia for on-stage interviews, giveaways, announcements and SA-owned business features, and every booking includes before-and-after marketing to 170,000+ people across Oorsee and RecruitZA socials.