The English side and Wales find themselves placed in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major early clash in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
Ireland alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa before the final, assuming the Springboks win their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the groups conclude in line with the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights early on, 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 pool stages.
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
