The English side together with Wales have been drawn in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing mirrors their infamous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock early exit.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a group once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and top-ranked South Africa before the final, presuming the Springboks top their own group.
Knockout Implications
If the pools conclude according to the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group 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 the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will introduce a last-16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
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
