England and Wales have been drawn in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing recalls their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Other Notable Group Draws
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a pool once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they claimed a 36-14 victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, assuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
If the pools play out according to the current world rankings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on that side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts Australia find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce 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 rugby's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six pool winners will face a third-placed side 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
