England and Wales have been drawn in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their infamous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a group once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa until the final, presuming the Springboks top their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
If the groups play out according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's existence.
While the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the other 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
