England together with Wales will face off in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a major early clash in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their memorable meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a group once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both made a strong impression as underdogs in France, round out that same group.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa before the final, presuming the South Africans top their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups conclude in line with the current global standings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will open the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at launch the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have drawn Italy, Georgia and Romania. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a last-16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will play a third-placed side 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
