England together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Draws
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a group together, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools play out in line with the current global standings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would remain separated from both England and Ireland until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the 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 initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six group winners will play a team that finished third 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
