The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise early exit.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish and Scotland also share a pool together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, presuming the South Africans top their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
If the pools play out according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Hosts Australia have been drawn together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have drawn Italy, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will introduce a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's existence.
Although the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six group winners will face a third-placed side 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
