The English side and their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Other Notable Pool Draws
The Irish alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the pools play out according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from the likes of England and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at launch the competition.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 stage for the very first time in the competition's existence.
While the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six pool 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
