The English side together with Wales find themselves placed in the same group for the 2027 RWC, promising a major pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Pairings
Ireland and the Scots also share a pool together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland secured a 36-14 victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each impressed as underdogs in France, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups cannot meet holders and top-ranked the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the groups play out according to the current global standings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from both England and Ireland all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Opener
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other 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
