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The English side and Wales will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This draw mirrors their infamous clash 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 have likewise been drawn in a group once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to advance to the quarter-finals.

Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.

Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.

Tournament Implications

Should the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from both the English and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.

In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.

Hosts Face Major Opener

Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.

The Wallabies will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the competition.

Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.

Expanded Format for 2027

Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.

This edition will feature a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.

Although the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.

Four of the other six group winners will face a third-placed side 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