The English side and Wales will face off in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their famous clash 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 early exit.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing win, with their opponents unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked South Africa until the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans top their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both England and the Irish until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will play a third-placed side from the pool stages.
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
