England and their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise early exit.
Key Pool Draws
The Irish alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 win, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, presuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
If the pools play out according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish until the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the event.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in France.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six pool winners will face 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
