England and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw recalls their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Draws
Ireland alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing win, with Scotland unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the final, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools play out according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to launch the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. France are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger 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 France.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will face a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
Rugby World Cup 2027 Groups
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
