The English side and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early clash in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their infamous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock early exit.
Other Notable Pool Draws
Ireland and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the Springboks win their own group.
Tournament Implications
If the pools play out according to the current global standings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from both England and Ireland until the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Hosts Australia find themselves alongside their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will introduce a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's history.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six group winners will face a team that finished third 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
