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England and Wales find themselves placed in the same pool 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 mirrors their memorable clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise early exit.

Key Group Draws

The Irish alongside Scotland also share a pool once again, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals.

Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.

Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.

Tournament Implications

Should the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland all the way to the final.

In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.

Hosts Draw Major Opener

Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.

Australia will open the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the competition.

Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.

Larger Format 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 2023.

The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.

While 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 Pool B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.

A total of four of the remaining six group 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