The English side and Wales will face off in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their memorable clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' surprise early exit.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish and the Scots also share a pool together, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing victory, with their opponents unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and top-ranked South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
If the groups play out in line with the current global standings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Opener
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will play 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
