The English side and Wales have been drawn in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing recalls their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' shock early exit.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a pool together, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland secured a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and top-ranked the Springboks before the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the groups play out in line with the current global standings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland until the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts Australia find themselves alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with Italy, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce 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 game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
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
