The English side together with Wales have been drawn in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise early exit.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish alongside the Scots also share a group together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they claimed a convincing win, with their opponents unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked South Africa until the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Tournament Implications
If the pools play out according to the current global standings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas 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 find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's existence.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the other six group winners will face a third-placed side 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
