England and Wales have been drawn in the same group for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a pool once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they claimed a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete 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, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools conclude according to the current global standings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will play 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
