England together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their famous meeting in the group phase 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 have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing win, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in France, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked South Africa before the final, assuming the Springboks top their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
If the groups play out according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of England and Ireland until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and Romania. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six group winners will face a team that finished third 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
