The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock early exit.
Other Notable Group Pairings
The Irish and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 win, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, presuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
If the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and France would remain separated from both England and the Irish until the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and Canada as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 stage for the first time in the competition's existence.
While the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six group winners will play a team that finished third from the pool stages.
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
