The English side and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major pool stage clash in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing mirrors their infamous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' shock early exit.
Other Notable Pool Draws
Ireland alongside the Scots also share a pool once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they claimed a convincing win, with Scotland failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, presuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current global standings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the first time in the competition's existence.
Although the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six group winners will face a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
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
