The English side together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw recalls their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise early exit.
Key Group Pairings
Ireland alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a convincing victory, with Scotland failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one the Springboks until the final, presuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
If the pools play out according to the current global standings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and France would remain separated from both England and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match designed to launch the event.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of England and Wales's group 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 – probably Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the other six group winners will play a team that finished third 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
