The English side together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Pool Draws
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a group once again, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they claimed a 36-14 win, with their opponents unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in France, round out that same group.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans top their own group.
Knockout Implications
If the pools play out according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Opener
Hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to launch the event.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and Romania. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group winners will face a team that finished third 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
