The English side and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise early exit.
Key Group Draws
The Irish alongside the Scots also share a group once again, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing win, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one South Africa before the final, presuming the Springboks top their own group.
Tournament Implications
If the pools conclude in line with the current global standings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will open the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six group winners will play a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
RWC 2027 Groups
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
