The English side together with Wales find themselves placed in the same group for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Key Pool Draws
The Irish and Scotland also share a group once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they secured a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the pools conclude in line with the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of England and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six pool winners will face a team that finished third from the pool stages.
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
