The English side together with Wales find themselves placed in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their infamous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
The Irish and the Scots also share a group together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing win, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, presuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
If the groups play out according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from the likes of the English and Ireland all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six group winners will face a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
Rugby World Cup 2027 Groups
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
