The English side and their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Key Pool Pairings
Ireland and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a convincing win, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the Springboks top their own group.
Knockout Implications
If the groups play out in line with the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish until the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group 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
