England captain Maro Itoje and head coach Steve Borthwick have made their intentions plain after Wednesday’s pool draw: their aim is to win the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
England were drawn in a pool with Wales, Tonga and Zimbabwe. If they finish top of that group they would likely avoid South Africa, New Zealand and France until the final—assuming those teams also win their pools. The England–Wales match will be the pair’s first World Cup meeting since Wales beat hosts England at Twickenham in 2015, a campaign England failed to progress from.
Itoje said he was “incredibly excited” to know the opponents and recalled watching the 2015 meeting as a fan, backing England on that day. While Wales prevailed then, Itoje said he hopes the outcome will be different in 2027 and welcomed the expectation placed on the team, saying it motivates them.
Borthwick, for whom Australia 2027 will be his fifth World Cup involvement, reflected on how narrow margins often decide tournament matches. He was a player in 2007, an assistant with Japan in 2015, an assistant with England in 2019 and led England as head coach in 2023. Those experiences, he said, underline the importance of concentration, resilience and attention to detail — and that a single moment can define a game.
Both men were unambiguous about their goals: to reach the final and win. Itoje stressed steady preparation over the next two years, noting that progress needs to be built carefully and that facing strong opposition in warm-up matches will help make the squad more battle-hardened. Borthwick echoed that clarity of purpose, saying the team has progressed and transitioned over the last 18 months and that two years of focused work could put them in position to achieve the prize. He also spoke about wanting supporters in Australia to have “loads to cheer about” and described the squad as a talented, young group on a deliberate development path.
Wales coach Steve Tandy described the draw as exciting and said he expects his team to be much improved by the time the World Cup arrives. Acknowledging the youth of his group and lessons learned from recent campaigns — including a heavy 73-0 defeat to South Africa — Tandy pointed to summer tours and the Six Nations as growth opportunities that will leave Wales stronger by the tournament. He also noted that Tonga and Zimbabwe will offer different challenges.
What happens next: the tournament format advances the top two teams from each pool to the last 16, joined by the four best third-placed teams. Pool winners and runners-up are paired into the knockout bracket according to the tournament schedule, with specific cross-pool matchups set for the round of 16.
The 2027 World Cup runs in Australia from October 1 to November 13.
Sky Sports analyst Michael Cantillon described England’s draw as “a very positive one.” He pointed out England avoided hosts Australia and Scotland from the same seeding band and noted the benefit of landing on the same side of the draw as Pools E or F winners, which can mean avoiding other pool winners until the semi-finals. Cantillon warned, however, that an England quarter-final could fall against a Pool A runner-up — potentially Australia — and that home advantage could prove significant even if England are currently stronger than the Wallabies.