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England together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.

This pairing echoes their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the hosts' shock group stage elimination.

Other Notable Group Draws

Ireland and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a 36-14 victory, with their opponents unable to advance to the quarter-finals.

Uruguay and Portugal, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.

Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa before the final, assuming the South Africans top their own group.

Knockout Ramifications

If the groups play out according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of England and the Irish until the final.

Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.

Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener

Hosts Australia find themselves together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.

The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the competition.

In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and Romania. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.

Expanded Tournament for 2027

Argentina will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in France.

The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's existence.

While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably Italy – in the last 16.

Four of the other 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