England and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a convincing victory, with their opponents unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked South Africa until the final, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the groups play out according to the current global standings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both the English and the Irish all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to launch the event.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the other six pool winners will play 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
