The English side together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing recalls their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Pairings
The Irish and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland secured a convincing victory, with their opponents unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both England and Ireland until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Opener
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at jump-start the event.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in France.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's existence.
Although the winner 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.
Four of the remaining six group winners will play a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
Rugby World Cup 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
