The English side together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise early exit.
Other Notable Group Draws
The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they secured a convincing win, with their opponents failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in France, round out that same group.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa before the final, assuming the Springboks win their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
If the pools play out in line with the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Major Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While 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 Group B – probably 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.
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
