The English side and Wales will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated early clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise early exit.
Other Notable Group Pairings
Ireland alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked South Africa until the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
If the groups play out in line with the current global standings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at launch the event.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in 2023.
This edition will introduce a last-16 stage for the first time in the competition's existence.
Although the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group winners will face a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
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
