The English side and Wales have been drawn in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' shock early exit.
Key Pool Draws
The Irish and the Scots also share a group once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in France, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their own group.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools conclude according to the current global standings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at launch the event.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in the competition's existence.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the other six group winners will play a team that finished third 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
