England and their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Draws
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a group once again, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a convincing win, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks until the final, presuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the pools play out according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both the English and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match designed to launch the event.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, Georgia and Romania. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future 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 20 who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will play a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
RWC 2027 Groups
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
