The English side and Wales will face off in the same group for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major pool stage clash in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Key Pool Pairings
Ireland and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one South Africa before the final, presuming the Springboks top their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the pools play out according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from the likes of England and Ireland until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to launch the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six group 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
