England together with Wales have been drawn in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Other Notable Pool Draws
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a pool once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 victory, with Scotland failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the groups play out according to the current world rankings, 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 other top-ranked nation on that side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining 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
