England and their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major early encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock early exit.
Other Notable Pool Draws
The Irish and the Scots also share a group once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in France, complete that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the groups play out in line with the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both the English and the Irish all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts Australia find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the event.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 round 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 runner-up from Group B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will play a team that finished third 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
