England and Wales will face off in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing recalls 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 hosts' shock early exit.
Other Notable Pool Draws
The Irish alongside the Scots also share a group together, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing win, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one South Africa until the final, assuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups conclude according to the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and France would remain separated from both the English and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Major Opener
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to launch the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have drawn Italy, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the other six pool winners will play a third-placed side 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
