Rugby World Cup 2027 draw: Englaned and Wales paired together
While England and Wales were matched in the pool stages of the 2027 Rugby World Cup held in Australia, Tonga and Zimbabwe completed Group F.
The two met at the same stage in the 2015 tournament; Wales’ victory at Twickenham had contributed to hosts England’s early exit from the tournament.
Ireland and Scotland also share the same pool, as did France 2023, where Ireland won 36-14 and Scotland failed to advance to the knockout stages. Uruguay and Portugal, which stand out as weak teams in France, are also in Group D.
Assuming the Springboks come out top of their respective groups, the winners of neither Group D nor Group F will be able to face champions and top-seeded South Africa until the final.
If the pools are played according to the world rankings, New Zealand and France, two of the leading candidates for the cup, will be kept apart from England and Ireland until the final.
In this hypothetical situation, Argentina would be the other top ranked nation on the England and Ireland side in the knockout draw.
Hosts Australia meet their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners in Group A, the All Blacks.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on October 1, 2027.
