England captain Maro Itoje and head coach Steve Borthwick have both said their aim is to win the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, responding to Wednesday’s pool draw.
England were drawn with Wales, Tonga and Zimbabwe in the pool stages. If they top the pool, they are likely to avoid South Africa, New Zealand and France — provided those nations win their groups — until the final. The England-Wales clash will be the pair’s first World Cup meeting since Wales beat hosts England at Twickenham in 2015, a tournament England failed to progress from.
“I’m just incredibly excited. It’s nice to know who we are playing at this stage. It’s no longer a guessing game,” Itoje told media. He recalled watching the 2015 match as a fan and supporting England, adding that while Wales won that day and it was a poor day for England, he hopes it will be different in 2027.
For Borthwick, Australia 2027 will be his fifth World Cup involvement. He travelled as a player in 2007, was an assistant coach with Japan in 2015 and with England in 2019, and led England as head coach in 2023. His key learning from those tournaments, he said, is how small margins decide matches.
“I’ve been really privileged,” he said, reflecting on 2007, Japan 2015 (where they lost one group game and nearly reached the quarters), 2019 (where as assistant coach he reached the final) and 2023 (a narrow semi-final defeat). “Each of those experiences shows that the margins of games are incredibly small… that each moment is potentially the huge moment that is the defining aspect of the game.” Borthwick stressed the need for concentration, resilience and getting the details right, noting that more preparation time for World Cup teams means matches often come down to a few moments.
Both Borthwick and Itoje made clear their expectations for the tournament: to reach the final and win. “Our ambition is to do very well and win this tournament, that’s definitely our goal, our aim,” Itoje said. He emphasised the importance of preparation over the next two years, saying “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” and that the team must build steadily and track in the right direction. Itoje welcomed the expectation from fans, saying he relishes it and that it motivates the team.
He added that the quality of England’s opposition in the build-up will be high, giving the squad valuable experience: “The more experience we have, the more battle-hardened we are, the more opportunities we have to play the best teams in the world… all of those things will put us in good stead.”
Borthwick echoed Itoje’s clarity of purpose: “We’ve been very clear in saying that our aim is to win the World Cup in 2027. A number of nations will be saying the same. We are working towards it.” He believes the team has progressed and transitioned over the last 18 months and that two years of hard work can put them in position to achieve the goal. Borthwick spoke of wanting supporters in Australia to have “loads to cheer about” and to create memorable moments along the journey. He described the squad as an exciting young group on a development path they want to accelerate through rigorous preparation both inside and outside camp.
Wales coach Steve Tandy, reacting after the draw, said he expects his side to be much improved by the tournament. Noting the age of the group and the learning from recent campaigns — even in heavy defeats like a recent 73-0 loss to South Africa — Tandy said growth comes from experience, summer tours and the Six Nations. “When we get to the World Cup, we’re a much better team than we are now,” he said. He described the draw as exciting, highlighted the significance of England games at a World Cup and noted Tonga and Zimbabwe will present different challenges.
What is the World Cup format?
– The top two teams from each pool progress to the last 16, joined by the four best third-placed teams.
– The top team in Pools A, B, C and D will play a third-placed team.
– Winners of Pools E and F will take on the runners-up from Pools D and B.
– The runners-up from Pools A and C will face the runners-up from Pools E and F.
The tournament runs in Australia from October 1 to November 13, 2027.
Sky Sports’ Michael Cantillon called England’s draw “a very positive one.” Drawing Wales headlines, but England avoided hosts Australia and Scotland from the same seeding band. Cantillon noted that landing in Pools E or F is desirable because the pool winners from those groups avoid other pool winners until the semi-finals — a position France also occupy. If England top their pool, South Africa, New Zealand and France would be on the opposite side of the draw until the final, should those sides win their pools. He issued a note of caution: England’s quarter-final would likely be against a Pool A runner-up, which could be hosts Australia; Cantillon warned that while England are currently stronger than the Wallabies, home advantage could be significant.