England together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in the same group for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing recalls their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise early exit.
Key Group Draws
Ireland and Scotland also share a group once again, 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.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked South Africa before the final, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Tournament 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 the likes of the English and the Irish all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at launch the competition.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six group winners will play a third-placed side from the pool stages.
RWC 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
