England together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock early exit.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
Ireland alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool together, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 victory, with Scotland failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Tournament Implications
If the groups play out according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland until the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to launch the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will play 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
