The English side together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated early clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Pairings
Ireland and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group once again, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the pools play out according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to launch the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn Italy, Georgia and Romania. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-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 early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six group winners will face a third-placed side 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
