The English side and their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw recalls their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock early exit.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group together, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa before the final, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of the English and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match aimed at launch the event.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the other six pool winners will face a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
RWC 2027 Groups
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
