The English side together with Wales will face off in the same group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the English team's shock early exit.
Other Notable Group Pairings
Ireland and Scotland also share a pool together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 win, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the final, assuming the Springboks win their own group.
Tournament Implications
If the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of the English and Ireland until the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on that half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Opener
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at launch the event.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's history.
While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group 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
