The English side and Wales find themselves placed in the same group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Pool Draws
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a group together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a 36-14 win, with their opponents unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from holders and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups conclude in line with the current world rankings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of England and the Irish all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will face a team that finished third from the pool stages.
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
