The English side together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their infamous clash in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Key Pool Draws
The Irish alongside the Scots also share a group once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from holders and top-ranked the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from the likes of the English and Ireland until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the event.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the other 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
