The English side and Wales will face off in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising 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 recalls their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a pool together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they secured a convincing win, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked South Africa until the final, presuming the Springboks win their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
If the pools play out in line with the current global standings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of England and the Irish until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Opener
Hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the event.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will face 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
