England together with Wales find themselves placed in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Other Notable Group Draws
Ireland and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland secured a 36-14 win, with their opponents unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their own group.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six group winners will face a third-placed side from the pool stages.
RWC 2027 Groups
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
