The English side and Wales will face off in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major early encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish alongside the Scots also share a pool together, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland secured a 36-14 win, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks top their own group.
Tournament Implications
If the pools play out according to the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of the English and the Irish until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the event.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's existence.
While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will play a third-placed side 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
