The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major early clash in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing recalls their infamous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock early exit.
Key Pool Draws
Ireland and Scotland also share a pool together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing win, with their opponents unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, both made a strong impression as underdogs in France, complete that same group.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups play out in line with the current world rankings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to launch the event.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn Italy, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will face 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
