The English side together with Wales have been drawn in an identical group for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the hosts' surprise early exit.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish alongside the Scots also share a group together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the groups conclude in line with the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of the English and the Irish until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn Italy, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six group winners will face a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
Rugby World Cup 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
