The English side together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors 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 English team's surprise early exit.
Other Notable Pool Draws
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a pool together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 victory, with their opponents failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools play out in line with the current global standings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the event.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will introduce a last-16 stage for the first time in the competition's history.
While the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of 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
