🔗 Share this article

England together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same group for the 2027 RWC, promising a major pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This draw recalls their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise early exit.

Key Pool Draws

The Irish and Scotland also share a pool once again, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a convincing win, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.

Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.

Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, assuming the South Africans win their own group.

Tournament Ramifications

Should the pools play out according to the current global standings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland until the championship decider.

In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.

Hosts Draw Major Fixture

Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.

Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to launch the event.

In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.

Larger Tournament for 2027

Argentina will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in France.

This edition will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.

While the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.

A total of 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