The English side and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated early clash in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing recalls their memorable meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Pool Draws
The Irish and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 victory, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
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 holders and world number one the Springboks until the final, presuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools play out in line with the current global standings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to launch the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the first time in the competition's existence.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six pool 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
