England together with Wales will face off in an identical group for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise early exit.
Key Group Draws
Ireland alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a convincing win, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the final, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the pools play out according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's existence.
While 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 Pool B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.
A total of 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
