England together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a major early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool 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 England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
The Irish alongside the Scots also share a group together, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a 36-14 victory, with their opponents unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the pools play out in line with the current global standings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on that side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Opener
Hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six group winners will face 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
