England together with Wales find themselves placed in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing mirrors their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
Ireland alongside the Scots also share a pool once again, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks until the final, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
If the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from both the English and the Irish until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to jump-start the event.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the first time in the competition's existence.
Although the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the other six pool winners will face a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
RWC 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
