The English side and Wales find themselves placed in the same group for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their infamous clash in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 win, with their opponents unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from holders and top-ranked the Springboks until the final, assuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the pools conclude according to the current global standings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's existence.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will face 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
