The English side and their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Pool Draws
The Irish and Scotland also share a pool together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a 36-14 victory, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in France, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, presuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the groups conclude in line with the current world rankings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the event.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's existence.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six group winners will play a third-placed side from the pool stages.
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
