The English side together with Wales find themselves placed in an identical group for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their memorable clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
The Irish alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group once again, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa until the final, assuming the South Africans top their own group.
Tournament Implications
If the pools play out according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to launch the competition.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in France.
This edition will feature a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game'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 remaining six pool winners will face a third-placed side from the pool stages.
RWC 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
