England and Wales have been drawn in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major early clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their infamous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' surprise early exit.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a group together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a convincing victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out 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 South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the groups play out according to the current global standings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will face a team that finished third 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
