The English side together with Wales will face off in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
Ireland and Scotland also share a pool together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the Springboks top their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the groups play out in line with the current world rankings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – most likely 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
