The English side together with Wales find themselves placed in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated early clash in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their infamous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
The Irish and the Scots also share a pool together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they secured a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in France, complete that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
If the groups play out in line with the current global standings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France 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 remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the event.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will face a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
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
