Canadian men draw Argentina, Fiji and Spain for 2027 Rugby World Cup

Canada, ranked 25th in the world, has been drawn in Pool C with No. 6 Argentina, No. 8 Fiji and No. 15 Spain at the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.

Wednesday's draw in Sydney also paired the host Wallabies, ranked seventh in the world, with No. 2 New Zealand in Pool A. The two rivals have never faced each other in pool play before.

As the lowest-ranked side in the expanded 24-team tournament, the Canadian men were always going to get a tough draw. Still, it's safe to say it could have been worse for Stephen Meehan's side.

In Argentina, Canada drew the lowest-ranked side in Pot No. 1, albeit one that upset the British and Irish Lions 28-24 in June in Dublin. Fiji was the second-highest-ranked side in Pot 2 while Spain was third-highest in Pot 3. 

Based on the rankings, a worst-case scenario would have seen Canada draw defending champion South Africa (ranked No. 1), No. 7 Australia and No. 13 Georgia.

But Pool C still promises to be a tough neighbourhood with Argentina and Fiji both combining physicality and flair. 

While Canada has not played the full Argentina side since 2005, when it lost 22-15 in Calgary, the Canadians have lost six subsequent meetings with a second-string Argentina XV side. Fiji thumped Canada 63-10 when they met in September in Pacific Nations Cup play in Commerce City, Colo.

The Canadians will target Spain at the tournament, having pushed the European side to the limit in a 24-23 loss in June in Edmonton in a game decided on a last-second penalty kick.

The expanded tournament comes with a new format featuring six groups of four teams. The top two from each pool plus the four-best third-place finishers move on to the knockout rounds, starting with the new round of 16.

The Canadian men, who failed