England and Wales will face off in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a major pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing recalls their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock early exit.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
Ireland and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group together, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing win, with their opponents failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one South Africa before the final, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools play out according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of England and the Irish all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
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 second-placed team from Group 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
