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England and Wales have been drawn in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This draw recalls their memorable meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.

Key Pool Pairings

The Irish and the Scots also share a pool together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 victory, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.

Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.

Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.

Tournament Ramifications

If the groups play out in line with the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of the English and the Irish all the way to the final.

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 Face Blockbuster Opener

Hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.

The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at launch the competition.

Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.

Expanded Tournament for 2027

Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.

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 avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.

Four of the other six pool winners will face 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