England together with Wales will face off in an identical group for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock early exit.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish and Scotland also share a group once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a 36-14 victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in France, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans top their own group.
Tournament Implications
If the pools conclude in line with the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and Canada as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will play a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
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
