The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated early encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing mirrors their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Pool Draws
The Irish alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages 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 top-ranked the Springboks before the final, assuming the South Africans top their own group.
Tournament Implications
If the groups conclude in line with the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of England and Ireland all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Opener
Hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six group winners will play a team that finished third 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
