The English side and Wales find themselves placed in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major early clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
Ireland and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one South Africa before the final, presuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six pool 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
