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The English side and Wales will face off in the same group for the 2027 RWC, promising a major early encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.

This draw echoes their memorable meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.

Other Notable Group Pairings

Ireland and the Scots also share a group once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they claimed a 36-14 victory, with their opponents failing to progress to the quarter-finals.

Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.

Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa before the final, assuming the Springboks win their own group.

Tournament Implications

If the groups play out according to the current global standings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland all the way to the final.

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

Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener

Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.

Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to launch the event.

In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.

Expanded Format for 2027

Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.

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

While the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – probably Italy – in the last 16.

Four of the remaining six group 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