REVEALED: Boks get Six Nations pool

BREAKING NEWS: Defending champions South Africa will have two Six Nations teams in their pool at the 2023 World Cup.

The Boks will have Ireland and Scotland in their pool, Pool B. They will also go up against a side from Asia/ Pacific and a further European nation.

In another intriguing development hosts France will play three-time winners New Zealand.

The All Blacks will also meet Italy and two qualifiers, one from the Americas and another from Africa, in Pool A.

England, the 2003 winners, will take on Japan, who hosted the last World Cup in 2019.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, seeding levels for the tournament draw were based on the world rankings on January 1, 2020 instead of after the year-end internationals as originally intended.

Organisers also moved the event forward to be able to start selling tickets in March next year, before ticket sales for the 2024 Paris Olympics begin in 2022.

The dozen countries from the draw will be joined by eight qualifiers, with the final lineup known by November 22.

Pool A

New Zealand

France

Italy

Americas 1

Africa 1

Pool B

South Africa

Ireland

Scotland

Asia / Pacific 1

Europe 2

Pool C

Wales

Australia

Fiji

Europe 1

Final Qualifier Winner

Pool D

England

Japan

Argentina

Oceania 1

Americas 2