The English side together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major early encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing recalls their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' shock early exit.
Key Pool Draws
Ireland alongside the Scots also share a group together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they claimed a convincing win, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa until the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both England and Ireland until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the first time in the competition's existence.
Although the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will face a third-placed side from the pool stages.
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
