England together with Wales have been drawn in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major early clash in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their infamous 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' surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
The Irish alongside the Scots also share a group once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks win their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
If the groups conclude according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and France would remain separated from both England and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. 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 Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will play 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
