England together with Wales find themselves placed in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major early encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing recalls their infamous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise early exit.
Key Group Draws
Ireland and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a 36-14 win, with their opponents unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and top-ranked the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their own group.
Tournament Implications
Should the groups conclude in line with the current global standings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from the likes of England and the Irish until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a last-16 stage for the first time in the competition's existence.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group winners will play a team that finished third 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