The English side and their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Pairings
Ireland and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a convincing win, with Scotland failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks until the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
If the pools play out in line with the current global standings, further 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 championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the event.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will play 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
