The English side and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same group for the 2027 RWC, promising a major pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
Ireland alongside the Scots also share a group together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a convincing victory, with their opponents unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks top their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the pools play out in line with the current global standings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from the likes of England and Ireland until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to launch the event.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six pool winners will play a third-placed side 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
