England and their Welsh counterparts have been drawn 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 echoes their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Draws
Ireland alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a 36-14 victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the final, presuming the Springboks top their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups play out according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand 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 remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match aimed at launch the event.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's existence.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six group winners will play 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
