The English side together with Wales have been drawn in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock early exit.
Other Notable Group Pairings
Ireland alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one South Africa until the final, assuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the pools play out according to the current global standings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Major Opener
Hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the winner of England and Wales's group 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 remaining six pool winners will play a team that finished third from the pool stages.
RWC 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
