England and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
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 shock group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Draws
The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, both made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the pools conclude according to the current global standings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish until the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the event.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn Italy, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six group winners will face a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
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
