The English side together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same group for the World Cup in 2027, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing win, with their opponents unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from holders and top-ranked the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
If the groups conclude according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of the English and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to launch the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six group winners will face a third-placed side from the pool stages.
RWC 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
