The English side and Wales find themselves placed in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major early clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
The Irish and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 win, with their opponents unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks win their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups play out according to the current global standings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to launch the event.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will play a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
Rugby World Cup 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
