England together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a convincing victory, with Scotland failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the groups play out in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both the English and the Irish until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to launch the competition.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
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 avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will play a third-placed side 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
