England and Wales will face off in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the hosts' surprise early exit.
Key Pool Draws
The Irish alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in France, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the final, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the pools conclude in line with the current global standings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to jump-start the event.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the other six pool winners will face 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
