The English side and Wales have been drawn in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Key Pool Draws
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a group once again, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa before the final, presuming the South Africans top their own group.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools conclude according to the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at launch the competition.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group winners will face a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
Rugby World Cup 2027 Groups
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
