The English side and Wales will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage clash in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their memorable clash in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Pool Draws
The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group together, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 win, with their opponents unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
If the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on that half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn Italy, Georgia and Romania. The French team are grouped with Japan, 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 20 who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six group winners will play a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
RWC 2027 Groups
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
