England together with Wales find themselves placed in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major early clash in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Pairings
Ireland alongside the Scots also share a pool once again, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing win, with Scotland failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks win their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools play out in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of England and the Irish until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the event.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six pool winners will face a third-placed side from the pool stages.
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
