The English side and Wales will face off in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major early clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their infamous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Key Group Pairings
Ireland and the Scots also share a pool together, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a convincing win, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa before the final, presuming the Springboks win their own group.
Tournament Implications
If the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and France would remain separated from both England and the Irish all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and Romania. France are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a round of 16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six group winners will face a team that finished third 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
