The English side and their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same group for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Pool Draws
Ireland and the Scots also share a group once again, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they secured a convincing win, with their opponents failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa before the final, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the groups play out in line with the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will face a team that finished third from the pool stages.
RWC 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
