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England and Wales find themselves placed in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major early encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.

This draw mirrors their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.

Other Notable Group Pairings

The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group together, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to progress to the quarter-finals.

Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that Pool D.

Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks before the final, presuming the South Africans top their own group.

Tournament Ramifications

If the pools conclude according to the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and France would remain separated from both England and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.

Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.

Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener

Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.

The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the event.

In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.

Expanded Format for 2027

Argentina will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.

The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's existence.

While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will meet 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 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