England and Wales will face off in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Pool Draws
Ireland alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group together, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 win, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in France, complete that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups play out in line with the current global standings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to launch the event.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group 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 last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six group winners will face a third-placed side 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
