England and Wales will face off in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major early encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing recalls their infamous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise early exit.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish alongside the Scots also share a group together, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing win, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa before the final, presuming the Springboks win their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both the English and Ireland until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to launch the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will play a third-placed side 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
