England and Wales have been drawn in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a highly-anticipated early encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
Ireland and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a convincing victory, with their opponents unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one South Africa before the final, assuming the South Africans win their own group.
Tournament Implications
If the groups conclude in line with the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both England and the Irish until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the event.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a round of 16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six group winners will play 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
