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 Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their memorable meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
Ireland and the Scots also share a group once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in France, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked South Africa before the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would remain separated from both England and the Irish until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's 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 runner-up from Group B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the other six group winners will face a third-placed side from the pool stages.
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
