The English side together with Wales find themselves placed in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their memorable clash in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Key Pool Draws
Ireland and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool together, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked South Africa until the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks top their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
If the pools play out according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from the likes of England and Ireland all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the event.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 stage for the first time in the competition's existence.
Although the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six group winners will play a third-placed side from the pool stages.
Rugby World Cup 2027 Draw
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
