England together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage clash in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing recalls their memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise early exit.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
Ireland alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks win their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the pools play out in line with the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to jump-start the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six group winners will face a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
Rugby World Cup 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
