The English side and Wales will face off in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated early encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
Ireland alongside the Scots also share a pool together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they claimed a convincing win, with their opponents unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in France, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa until the final, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the pools play out in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
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
