The English side and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Draws
The Irish and the Scots also share a pool once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each impressed as underdogs in France, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
If the groups play out according to the current global standings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six pool 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