The English side together with Wales find themselves placed in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing recalls their memorable meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Key Pool Pairings
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a group 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 advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks before the final, presuming the South Africans top their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the groups play out in line with the current global standings, other leading contenders like New Zealand 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 remaining top-ranked 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 trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at launch the competition.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a last-16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group winners will face a team that finished third from the pool stages.
Rugby World Cup 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
