The English side and their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group together, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from holders and top-ranked South Africa before the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Tournament Implications
Should the groups play out according to the current global standings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both England and Ireland all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six pool winners will face 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
