England and Wales will face off in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major pool stage clash in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the English team's shock early exit.
Key Pool Pairings
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a group once again, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked South Africa before the final, presuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
If the groups conclude according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from both England and Ireland until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
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
