The English side and Wales will face off in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major pool stage clash in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Pool Draws
The Irish and Scotland also share a group once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 victory, with their opponents failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks win their own group.
Knockout Implications
If the groups conclude according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on that side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six group winners will face 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
