The English side and Wales have been drawn in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' surprise early exit.
Key Pool Draws
The Irish alongside the Scots also share a group once again, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a convincing win, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the groups play out according to the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of England and the Irish until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the event.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group winners will play a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
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
