The English side together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Draws
Ireland and Scotland also share a pool once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a 36-14 victory, with Scotland failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa before the final, presuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the pools play out in line with the current global standings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's 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 meet the second-placed team from Group B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six group winners will face a team that finished third 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
