THE idea of a 2027 World Cup in which the two leading teams in the world, South Africa and New Zealand, are on the same side of the draw is difficult to understand.
It becomes even more perplexing when the likely outcome is having the last two World Cup finalists – and usually the two teams at the top of the world rankings – meeting each other prematurely in the quarter-finals.
The prospect of either the reigning world champions, South Africa, or their arch rivals, New Zealand, going out before the semi-finals, as happened to hosts France in 2023, could torpedo the inte...