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The English side and Wales will face off in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major early clash in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.

This pairing echoes their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.

Key Group Draws

Ireland alongside the Scots also share a group together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they secured a convincing victory, with Scotland failing to progress to the knockout stages.

Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.

Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa until the final, assuming the South Africans top their own group.

Tournament Implications

If the pools play out in line with the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of the English and the Irish until the championship decider.

In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.

Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture

Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.

The Wallabies will open the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to launch the competition.

Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.

Expanded Tournament for 2027

Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.

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

While the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.

Four of the remaining six group winners will play a third-placed side from the initial group phase.

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