England together with Wales have been drawn 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 Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing mirrors their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock early exit.
Other Notable Group Pairings
The Irish alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the event.
In other groups, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other 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
