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The English side together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This draw recalls their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' shock early exit.

Key Group Pairings

Ireland and Scotland also share a pool together, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland secured a convincing win, with their opponents failing to progress to the quarter-finals.

Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.

Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one South Africa before the final, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.

Tournament Ramifications

If the pools play out in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland until the championship decider.

In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.

Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener

Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.

Australia will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to launch the competition.

In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. France are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.

Larger Tournament for 2027

Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in France.

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

Although the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.

A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will play 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