The English side together with Wales will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major early encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group together, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in France, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the final, presuming the Springboks win their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
If the pools play out in line with the current global standings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 round for the first time in the competition's history.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will play a third-placed side from the pool stages.
Rugby World Cup 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
