England together with Wales will face off in the same group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing recalls their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a convincing win, with their opponents failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks win their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools play out in line with the current global standings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of England and the Irish until the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. France are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in France.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely the Italians – 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.
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
