The English side and Wales find themselves placed in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major early clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
Ireland and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 victory, with their opponents unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the final, presuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups play out according to the current global standings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will play 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
