England and Wales find themselves placed in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major early encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their infamous clash in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Pairings
Ireland and Scotland also share a group once again, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the final, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the pools play out according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and France would remain separated from the likes of England and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's history.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six group winners will play a third-placed side 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
