England together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their memorable clash in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' surprise early exit.
Key Pool Pairings
Ireland alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, 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 until the final, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
If the groups conclude in line with the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on that side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in France.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six group 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
