The English side together with Wales will face off in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major early clash in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise early exit.
Other Notable Group Draws
The Irish alongside the Scots also share a pool together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a convincing win, with their opponents unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked South Africa until the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
If the groups conclude according to the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand 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 remaining highly-seeded nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will open the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will introduce a last-16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six pool winners will play 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
