The English side and Wales have been drawn in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their memorable meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise early exit.
Key Pool Draws
Ireland alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a convincing win, with Scotland unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both made a strong impression as underdogs in France, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
If the pools play out according to the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will introduce a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's history.
Although the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six group winners will face a team that finished third from the pool stages.
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
