England and their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw recalls their memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
The Irish and Scotland also share a pool together, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland secured a convincing victory, with their opponents unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the final, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools play out in line with the current global standings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from both England and the Irish until the championship decider.
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 Face Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to launch the competition.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will face a third-placed side 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
