England and Wales will face off in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major early encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw recalls their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
Ireland and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing win, with their opponents failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in France, complete that same group.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and top-ranked South Africa before the final, presuming the Springboks win their own group.
Knockout Implications
If the groups conclude in line with the current world rankings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Major Opener
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six group winners will face 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
