England together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical group for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing recalls their memorable meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a pool together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks win their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and France would remain separated from the likes of England and the Irish until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in France.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's history.
While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six group winners will face 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