England together with Wales will face off in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock early exit.
Other Notable Pool Draws
The Irish and the Scots also share a group together, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they claimed a convincing win, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the final, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
If the pools play out according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and France would remain separated from both England and the Irish until the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Opener
Hosts Australia find themselves together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will play a team that finished third 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
