England and their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major early encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw recalls their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock early exit.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a group once again, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland secured a convincing victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the final, presuming the Springboks win their own group.
Tournament Implications
If the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from the likes of England and the Irish until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have drawn Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six pool winners will play a team that finished third from the pool stages.
RWC 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
