England and Wales have been drawn in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a major early clash in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Draws
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a pool once again, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their own group.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools play out according to the current global standings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's existence.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six group winners will face a team that finished third from the pool stages.
Rugby World Cup 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