The English side and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a major early encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing recalls their memorable meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Draws
The Irish and Scotland also share a pool once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing win, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in France, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the Springboks win their own group.
Knockout Implications
If the groups play out according to the current world rankings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining 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
