The English side together with Wales find themselves placed in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock early exit.
Key Pool Draws
Ireland alongside the Scots also share a group together, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a convincing win, with Scotland failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in France, complete that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked South Africa before the final, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools play out according to the current world rankings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will open the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will introduce a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's existence.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six pool 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
