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 the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Pool Draws
Ireland and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a convincing win, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks win their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
If the groups conclude in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both the English and Ireland all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the event.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 stage for the very first time in the competition's existence.
While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group winners will face a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
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
