The English side and Wales find themselves placed in the same group for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major early encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their infamous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise early exit.
Other Notable Pool Draws
The Irish and the Scots also share a pool once again, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a convincing win, with their opponents unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, presuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
If the groups play out in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of England and the Irish all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group winners will face a team that finished third from the pool stages.
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
