The English side and Wales will face off in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing mirrors their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Draws
Ireland alongside the Scots also share a pool once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they secured a convincing win, with their opponents unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups cannot meet holders and top-ranked the Springboks until the final, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the pools conclude in line with the current global standings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of England and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. France are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, 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 face 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
