The English side and Wales have been drawn in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
The Irish alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing victory, with their opponents unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa until the final, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will face a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
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
