England and Wales have been drawn in the same group for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' shock early exit.
Key Group Pairings
Ireland alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they claimed a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one South Africa until the final, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
If the groups play out according to the current global standings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the event.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. France are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six group winners will face 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
