England and Wales find themselves placed in the same group for the World Cup in 2027, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
The Irish and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group together, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a convincing win, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each impressed as underdogs in France, complete that same group.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the pools conclude according to the current global standings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six group winners will play a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
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
