The English side together with Wales find themselves placed in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major early clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise early exit.
Key Pool Draws
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a pool once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing win, with Scotland failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and top-ranked South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks win their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups play out according to the current global standings, other top favourites 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, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the runner-up from Pool 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 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
