The English side together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock early exit.
Key Pool Draws
The Irish alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they claimed a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the Springboks top their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and France would remain separated from both the English and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at launch the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the other six group winners will face 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
