The English side together with Wales have been drawn in the same group for the 2027 RWC, promising a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Other Notable Group Draws
The Irish and the Scots also share a pool once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from holders and top-ranked South Africa until the final, assuming the South Africans top their own group.
Knockout Implications
If the groups conclude according to the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of England and Ireland until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six group winners will play 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
