Record Bledisloe crowd gives Karl Te Nana a glimpse of Rugby World Cup 2027's potential

A sell-out Bledisloe Cup crowd in Sydney has convinced All Blacks Sevens great Karl Te Nana that Rugby World Cup 2027 is shaping up to be one of the biggest tournaments the sport has ever staged.

More than 73,000 fans packed Accor Stadium — the largest Bledisloe Cup crowd at the venue in a decade — to watch New Zealand dismantle Australia 43-21 in the second Test of 2026. Beauden Barrett and Josh Moorby each scored two tries as the All Blacks ran away with the match at the Sydney ground that will host two quarter-finals, both semi-finals, the bronze final, and the Rugby World Cup Final in 2027.

“Australia know how to do it big, regardless of what competition it is and we just got to taste a bit on the weekend,” Te Nana said. “We know every single game in the World Cup’s gonna be like that. Plus, we’re gonna have travelling rows coming over, supporting their teams. It’s really exciting… mate, it’s going to be massive.”

The occasion carries added significance because Australia and New Zealand will meet in pool play at the World Cup — a first in the history of the rivalry — at the same stadium, 357 days on from Saturday’s Test. England and Wales, drawn together in Pool F, will also face off at the venue.

The tournament reaches its one-year-to-go milestone with momentum building off the pitch as well. World Rugby confirmed earlier this month that 1.3 million tickets had already been sold to fans from 164 countries, with approximately 250,000 overseas visitors expected to travel to Australia across the six-week competition.

The expanded 24-team format — the first time the World Cup has fielded that many nations — will see 52 matches spread across seven host cities: Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Newcastle, Melbourne, and Townsville. A new round of 16 has also been introduced, giving more nations a path to the latter stages.

“In just 365 days, Australia will welcome the world for Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027, a landmark tournament that coincides with the competition’s 40th anniversary and promises to be the biggest and most accessible celebration of rugby ever staged,” World Rugby Chair Brett Robinson said on October 1.

Australia open the tournament against debutants Hong Kong China on October 1, 2027, with New Zealand facing Chile the following day.