England together with Wales find themselves placed in the same group for the World Cup in 2027, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing recalls their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise early exit.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland secured a convincing win, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both made a strong impression as underdogs in France, complete that same group.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and top-ranked South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks win their own group.
Tournament Implications
If the groups play out according to the current global standings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Opener
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain 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 existence.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six group winners will play a team that finished third 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
