England together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a highly-anticipated early encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw recalls their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock early exit.
Key Group Draws
The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the pools conclude according to the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both England and the Irish all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group winners will face a team that finished third from the pool stages.
Rugby World Cup 2027 Groups
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
