England and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Pool Draws
The Irish and Scotland also share a group together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they secured a 36-14 win, with Scotland unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from holders and top-ranked the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks win their own group.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group winners will face a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
RWC 2027 Draw
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
