The English side together with Wales will face off in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing win, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks win their own group.
Tournament Implications
Should the groups conclude according to the current global standings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will meet 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 play a team that finished third from the pool stages.
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
