The English side and their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their memorable clash in the pool stages 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 Pool Draws
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a pool together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they secured a 36-14 victory, with Scotland failing to advance to the knockout stages.
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 until the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the pools play out in line with the current global standings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's existence.
Although the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six pool winners will play a team that finished third from the pool stages.
Rugby World Cup 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
