The English side together with Wales have been drawn in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing mirrors their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise early exit.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
Ireland alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 victory, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa before the final, presuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the pools conclude according to the current global standings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of the English and the Irish until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in the competition's existence.
While the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six group winners will play a team that finished third 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
