The English side together with Wales find themselves placed in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing mirrors their infamous clash in the group phase 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 Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland secured a convincing win, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their own group.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both the English and the Irish until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
This edition 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 rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will play a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
Rugby World Cup 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