The English side together with Wales have been drawn in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a highly-anticipated early encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Draws
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a pool once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a 36-14 victory, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the final, assuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the pools play out in line with the current world rankings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of England and Ireland until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match designed to launch the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six group winners will play a team that finished third 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
