The English side and Wales find themselves placed in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
Ireland alongside the Scots also share a pool together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a convincing victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa before the final, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups play out in line with the current world rankings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to launch the event.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 round for the first time in the competition's history.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will play 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
