The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major pool stage clash in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing recalls their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise early exit.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish and Scotland also share a pool together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a 36-14 win, with Scotland unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa until the final, assuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the pools play out in line with the current global standings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of England and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the event.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six group winners will face a third-placed side 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
