The English side and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Key Pool Draws
Ireland and the Scots also share a group together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their own group.
Tournament Implications
If the pools play out according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on that side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the event.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a last-16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six group winners will play a third-placed side 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
