The English side together with Wales find themselves placed in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major early clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise early exit.
Key Pool Draws
The Irish alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in France, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa before the final, presuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the groups play out according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from both the English and Ireland all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts Australia find themselves alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 stage for the first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six pool winners will play a third-placed side from the pool stages.
Rugby World Cup 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
