England and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a major pool stage clash in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' shock early exit.
Key Pool Draws
Ireland and Scotland also share a pool together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 victory, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in France, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the Springboks win their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
If the groups play out according to the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts Australia have been drawn together with their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match designed to launch the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have drawn Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group winners will face 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
