England and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated early encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the hosts' shock early exit.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a pool once again, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 win, with their opponents unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
If the groups conclude according to the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland until the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the event.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will feature a round of 16 stage for the first time in the competition's history.
While the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will face a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
Rugby World Cup 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
