England together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing recalls their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Key Pool Draws
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a group once again, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Implications
If the groups play out according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other 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
