The English side together with Wales will face off in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Key Pool Pairings
Ireland alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
If the pools play out in line with the current global standings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both the English and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts Australia find themselves together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in the competition's existence.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six pool winners will play a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
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
