The English side together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same group for the World Cup in 2027, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' shock early exit.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool together, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in France, complete that same group.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will face a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
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
