The English side together with Wales find themselves placed in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock early exit.
Other Notable Pool Draws
Ireland and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the pools play out in line with the current global standings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and France would remain separated from both England and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's existence.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group 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
