The English side and their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their infamous clash 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 early exit.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
Ireland and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in France, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the final, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Tournament Implications
If the pools play out according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on that side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.
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
