England and Wales have been drawn in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their infamous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Pairings
The Irish and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing win, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in France, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked South Africa until the final, presuming the Springboks top their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the pools play out according to the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
This edition will feature a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of 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
