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The English side and their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.

This pairing echoes their infamous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the English team's shock early exit.

Key Group Pairings

Ireland and the Scots also share a group together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a convincing win, with Scotland failing to advance to the knockout stages.

Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.

Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.

Tournament Ramifications

Should the groups conclude in line with the current global standings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish all the way to the final.

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

Hosts Face Major Opener

Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.

The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.

In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.

Expanded Tournament for 2027

Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in 2023.

This edition will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's existence.

Although the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.

A total of four of the other six group winners will play 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