The English side together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw recalls their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a group once again, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 victory, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each 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 the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups play out in line with the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, 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 feature a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group winners will play a team that finished third from the pool stages.
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
