England together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing mirrors their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Draws
Ireland alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a 36-14 win, with Scotland unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as underdogs in France, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one South Africa before the final, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current global standings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the event.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six group winners will play 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
