England and their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same group for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw recalls their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise early exit.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
If the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn Italy, Georgia and Romania. The French team are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's existence.
While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six group winners will play a third-placed side 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