England and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same group for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise early exit.
Key Pool Draws
The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one South Africa until the final, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups play out according to the current global standings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the event.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six group winners will play a team that finished third from the pool stages.
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
