The English side and Wales find themselves placed in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major early clash in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise early exit.
Key Pool Pairings
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a pool once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in France, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and France would remain separated from the likes of England and Ireland until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six pool winners will face a third-placed side 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
