England together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early clash in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Pool Draws
Ireland and Scotland also share a group once again, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they secured a convincing win, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in France, complete that same group.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans top their own group.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools play out according to the current global standings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Opener
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the event.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. France are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
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
