The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
Ireland alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool together, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 victory, with Scotland failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked South Africa before the final, presuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools conclude according to the current global standings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have drawn Italy, Georgia and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a round of 16 round for the first time in the competition's history.
Although the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group winners will play a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
RWC 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
