England together with Wales will face off in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise early exit.
Key Pool Draws
The Irish and Scotland also share a pool once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 win, with Scotland unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from holders and top-ranked the Springboks until the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the pools conclude according to the current global standings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at launch the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in France.
This edition will feature a round of 16 round for the first time in the competition's existence.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will meet 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 face a team that finished third 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
