England together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise early exit.
Other Notable Group Pairings
The Irish alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a convincing win, with their opponents unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in France, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the groups play out in line with the current world rankings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at launch the event.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six pool winners will face a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
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
