The English side together with Wales find themselves placed in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Other Notable Pool Draws
The Irish and the Scots also share a group together, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a convincing win, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both made a strong impression as underdogs in France, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their own group.
Tournament Implications
If the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of England and the Irish until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of 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
