England together with Wales have been drawn in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their infamous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Pool Draws
Ireland and Scotland also share a group once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they claimed a 36-14 win, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and top-ranked South Africa until the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans top their own group.
Tournament Implications
Should the groups conclude according to the current world rankings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on the same half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Major Opener
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to launch the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will feature a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the other six group winners will face a team that finished third from the pool stages.
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
