The English side together with Wales find themselves placed in an identical group for the World Cup in 2027, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes 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 hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a pool together, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in France, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, presuming the Springboks top their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools play out according to the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas 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
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the event.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the other six pool winners will face a third-placed side from the pool stages.
RWC 2027 Draw
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
