England and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their infamous clash in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 win, with Scotland unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and top-ranked South Africa until the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans top their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the pools conclude according to the current global standings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of the English and Ireland all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Hosts Australia have been drawn together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the event.
In other groups, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will play 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
