England and Wales find themselves placed in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early clash in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their famous clash 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
The Irish and the Scots also share a pool together, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they claimed a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the final, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the pools play out according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from both the English and the Irish all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at launch the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in France.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six pool 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
