The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing recalls their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish and Scotland also share a pool once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they secured a convincing win, with their opponents unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of England and Ireland until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at jump-start the event.
In other groups, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's existence.
Although the winner of England and Wales's group 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 Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six group 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
