The English side together with Wales find themselves placed in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their memorable clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a pool once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
If the groups play out in line with the current world rankings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to launch the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six pool winners will play a third-placed side from the pool stages.
RWC 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
