The English side and Wales will face off in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors 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 hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
Ireland alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros 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 defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the final, presuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the pools conclude according to the current global standings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup 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 Group B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six group winners will face a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
RWC 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
