England and Welsh Drawn Together for 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia
The English side and Wales will face off in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group once again, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they claimed a 36-14 win, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups cannot meet holders and top-ranked South Africa before the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks win their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from the likes of England and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with Italy, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, 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 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's existence.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the other six group winners will play 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
