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The English side and Wales find themselves placed in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This draw mirrors their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.

Key Group Pairings

The Irish and the Scots also share a group together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing win, with Scotland unable to progress to the knockout stages.

Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.

Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and top-ranked South Africa before the final, presuming the Springboks win their own group.

Tournament Ramifications

If the groups play out according to the current global standings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of England and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.

Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.

Hosts Face Major Fixture

Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.

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

In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.

Expanded Format for 2027

Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in 2023.

The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.

While the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights 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 face a team that finished third from the initial group phase.

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