England and Wales will face off in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw recalls their memorable meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a group together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the Springboks top their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both England and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions 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 Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 round for the first time in the competition's history.
While the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will face a team that finished third 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
