The English side and their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their infamous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish and Scotland also share a group once again, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the groups play out according to the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and France would remain separated from both the English and Ireland until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Hosts Australia find themselves together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to launch the event.
In other groups, holders South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six group winners will play a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
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
