England and their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their memorable clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
The Irish and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from the likes of England and the Irish until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Major Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining 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
