The English side and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical group for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their infamous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a convincing victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from holders and top-ranked South Africa until the final, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the groups play out according to the current global standings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of England and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to launch the event.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six group winners will face a team that finished third 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
