The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their infamous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Other Notable Pool Draws
Ireland alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa until the final, presuming the South Africans top their own group.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools conclude according to the current global standings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Opener
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 fixture aimed at jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other 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
