The English side together with Wales find themselves placed in the same group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major pool stage clash in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw recalls their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's shock early exit.
Key Pool Draws
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a pool together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing victory, with their opponents unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa until the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools play out according to the current global standings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in France.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's history.
While the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will play a team that finished third from the pool stages.
RWC 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
