England and Wales will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their memorable meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Key Group Draws
The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing win, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups cannot meet holders and top-ranked the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of the English and Ireland until the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the event.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in France.
This edition will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six group 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
