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The English side and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This pairing echoes their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock early exit.

Key Group Pairings

The Irish and the Scots also share a group together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland secured a convincing victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the knockout stages.

Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group.

Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks before the final, presuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.

Knockout Implications

Should the pools conclude in line with the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both the English and Ireland until the championship decider.

In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.

Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture

Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.

The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the competition.

In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.

Expanded Format for 2027

Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.

This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the first time in the competition's history.

While the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.

A total of four of the other six pool 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