The English side together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a pool once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland secured a convincing victory, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of the English and Ireland until the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match designed to launch the event.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 round for the first time in the competition's existence.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will face a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
Rugby World Cup 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
