The English side together with Wales have been drawn in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major early encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Pool Draws
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a pool together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 win, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, presuming the Springboks win their own group.
Tournament Implications
Should the groups conclude according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from both the English and Ireland until the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts Australia have been drawn together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the event.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in France.
This edition will feature a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's existence.
Although the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the other six group winners will play a team that finished third 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
