The English side and Wales find themselves placed in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a pool together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a 36-14 victory, with their opponents unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks win their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the pools play out according to the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland until the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in 2023.
This edition will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will play a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
RWC 2027 Draw
Pool A
- New Zealand
- Australia
- Chile
- Hong Kong
Pool B
- South Africa
- Italy
- Georgia
- Romania
Pool C
- Argentina
- Fiji
- Spain
- Canada
Pool D
- Ireland
- Scotland
- Uruguay
- Portugal
Pool E
- France
- Japan
- USA
- Samoa
Pool F
- England
- Wales
- Tonga
- Zimbabwe
