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England together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in the same group for the 2027 RWC, promising a major pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This pairing recalls their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.

Other Notable Group Draws

Ireland and the Scots also share a pool together, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing win, with their opponents failing to progress to the quarter-finals.

Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.

Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the final, presuming the South Africans win their own group.

Knockout Implications

Should the groups conclude according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland until the final.

In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.

Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener

Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.

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

In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and Romania. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.

Larger Format for 2027

Argentina will face Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in 2023.

This edition will feature a round of 16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.

Although the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.

Four of the remaining six pool winners will face a team that finished third 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