The English side together with Wales have been drawn in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage clash in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise early exit.
Other Notable Group Pairings
The Irish and the Scots also share a pool once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they secured a convincing win, with Scotland failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in France, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the South Africans top their own group.
Tournament Implications
Should the groups play out in line with the current global standings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from the likes of England and the Irish until the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to launch the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the other six group winners will face a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
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
