The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their infamous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they secured a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the pools play out according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from both England and Ireland until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Opener
Hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's existence.
While the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will play a third-placed side 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
