The English side together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated early clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise early exit.
Other Notable Pool Draws
The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in France, complete that same group.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the groups conclude according to the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Opener
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will introduce a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's existence.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will play a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
Rugby World Cup 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
