The English side and Wales have been drawn in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a major early clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the other six pool winners will play a third-placed side from the pool stages.
Rugby World Cup 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
