England together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising 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 pairing echoes their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' shock early exit.
Key Group Draws
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a group together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the pools play out according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of England and the Irish all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will play a team that finished third 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
