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The English side and Wales have been drawn in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.

This draw mirrors their memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.

Other Notable Pool Pairings

Ireland and the Scots also share a group once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland failing to advance to the knockout stages.

Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in France, round out that Pool D.

Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.

Tournament Implications

Should the pools play out in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of England and the Irish all the way to the final.

Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.

Hosts Face Major Fixture

Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.

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

In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.

Expanded Format for 2027

Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.

The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.

While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.

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