England together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in an identical group for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major early encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing mirrors their infamous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the English team's shock early exit.
Other Notable Group Draws
Ireland alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing win, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, both made a strong impression as underdogs in France, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one South Africa before the final, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups conclude in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of England and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on the same side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's existence.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group winners will face a third-placed side 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
