England and Wales have been drawn in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Pool Pairings
Ireland and the Scots also share a group once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in France, round out that same group.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, presuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
If the pools play out according to the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts Australia find themselves alongside their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match aimed at launch the competition.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 round for the first time in the competition's history.
While the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six group winners will play a third-placed side 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
