England and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their memorable meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' shock early exit.
Key Pool Draws
The Irish alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the South Africans top their own group.
Tournament Implications
If the pools play out according to the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and France would remain separated from the likes of the English and Ireland all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on that side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – 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 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
