England together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a major pool stage clash in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing recalls their infamous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a pool once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, presuming the South Africans top their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
If the pools play out in line with 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 final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Major Opener
Hosts Australia find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match aimed at launch the competition.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
This edition will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's existence.
Although the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will face a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
RWC 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
