The English side and their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their memorable clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Key Pool Draws
Ireland and Scotland also share a pool once again, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they claimed a convincing win, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, 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, assuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the pools play out in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Opener
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to launch the event.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.
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
