England together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise early exit.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
The Irish alongside the Scots also share a pool once again, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current global standings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to launch the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six pool winners will play a team that finished third 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
