England and Wales find themselves placed in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise early exit.
Key Pool Draws
Ireland alongside the Scots also share a pool once again, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they secured a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in France, round out that same group.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and top-ranked South Africa until the final, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
If the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of the English and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on that side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Major Opener
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's existence.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group winners will play a third-placed side from the pool stages.
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
