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England together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated early clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.

This pairing mirrors their memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.

Key Pool Pairings

The Irish alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool together, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they secured a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals.

Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.

Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the Springboks top their own group.

Tournament Implications

Should the pools play out in line with the current global standings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland all the way to the final.

Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.

Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture

Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.

Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at launch the competition.

In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.

Larger Format for 2027

Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.

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

Although the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.

Four of the other six pool winners will face 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