The English side and Wales have been drawn in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa until the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the pools conclude according to the current global standings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from the likes of England and Ireland until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to launch the event.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and Romania. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 round 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 early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six pool winners will face a team that finished third 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
