England and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's shock early exit.
Other Notable Group Draws
Ireland and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group together, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a 36-14 win, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their own group.
Tournament Implications
If the pools conclude according to the current global standings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to launch the competition.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six group winners will face a third-placed side 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
