The English side and Wales find themselves placed in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing recalls their infamous meeting in the pool stages 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.
Other Notable Group Pairings
Ireland alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they secured a convincing win, with Scotland unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the groups play out in line with the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to jump-start the event.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six pool winners will play a third-placed side from the pool stages.
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
