The English side together with Wales have been drawn in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated early encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the hosts' surprise early exit.
Key Pool Draws
Ireland and the Scots also share a pool once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing victory, with Scotland failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks top their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups play out according to the current global standings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of the English and Ireland until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the event.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and Romania. France are grouped with Japan, 2031 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 World Cup grows to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will meet 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 pool stages.
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
