England together with Wales have been drawn in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, promising a major early encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Pool Draws
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a group together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 victory, with Scotland failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from holders and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, assuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the pools play out in line with the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both England and the Irish all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the event.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's existence.
Although the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will face 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
