The English side together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in the same group for the 2027 RWC, promising a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Key Pool Pairings
Ireland and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they claimed a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the groups play out in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts 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 other 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
