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The English side together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.

This pairing recalls their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.

Other Notable Group Draws

Ireland alongside Scotland also share a pool together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to progress to the quarter-finals.

Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that Pool D.

Significantly, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.

Knockout Ramifications

If the groups play out in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish until the final.

In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.

Hosts Face Major Fixture

Hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.

Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at launch the competition.

Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.

Larger Tournament for 2027

Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.

The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.

Although the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.

A total of four of the other six pool winners will face a third-placed side 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