The English side together with Wales will face off in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major early encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
Ireland and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they claimed a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks top their own group.
Tournament Implications
If the pools play out in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish until the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at launch the competition.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a round of 16 round for the first time in the competition's existence.
Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six group winners will face 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
