England and their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
Ireland and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa until the final, assuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools play out in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of Pool F 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 the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining 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
