The English side together with Wales have been drawn in the same group for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing mirrors their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Key Pool Draws
Ireland and the Scots also share a group once again, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing victory, with their opponents unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, presuming the South Africans top their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups play out according to the current global standings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
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
