The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated early encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
Ireland alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa before the final, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the groups conclude in line with the current global standings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a round of 16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six group winners will play 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
