England together with Wales have been drawn in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' surprise early exit.
Key Group Pairings
Ireland and Scotland also share a pool once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing win, with Scotland failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Implications
If the groups play out according to the current global standings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the event.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six pool winners will play a third-placed side 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
