The English side and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a major pool stage encounter in Australia. 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 a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' shock early exit.
Other Notable Group Draws
The Irish alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 victory, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in France, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
If the groups conclude according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would remain separated from the likes of England and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Major Opener
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool 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 the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's existence.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will play a third-placed side from the pool stages.
Rugby World Cup 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
