England and Wales have been drawn in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated early clash in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing win, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans top their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools play out in line with the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and France would remain separated from the likes of England and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to launch the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's existence.
Although the victor 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 the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group winners will play 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
