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The English side together with Wales have been drawn in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.

This draw echoes their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise early exit.

Key Pool Pairings

Ireland alongside Scotland also share a pool together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they claimed a convincing win, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.

Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.

Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked South Africa before the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans win their own group.

Knockout Implications

Should the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of England and Ireland all the way to the final.

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

Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener

Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.

Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the competition.

Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.

Expanded Tournament for 2027

Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.

The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 round for the first time in the competition's existence.

While the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.

Four of the other six pool winners will play 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