The English side and Wales have been drawn in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their infamous clash 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 early exit.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish and Scotland also share a pool together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 victory, with Scotland failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, presuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
If the pools play out in line with the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the first time in the competition's existence.
Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other 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
