England and Wales find themselves placed in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major early encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw recalls their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a pool together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they claimed a 36-14 victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and top-ranked the Springboks before the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the groups play out according to the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both the English and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at launch the event.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although 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 Group B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six pool winners will face 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
