The English side together with Wales have been drawn in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their memorable clash in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the English team's shock early exit.
Key Pool Draws
The Irish alongside the Scots also share a group once again, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 victory, with their opponents failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Tournament Implications
If the pools play out in line with the current world rankings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in France.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the first time in the competition's history.
While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will play a third-placed side from the pool stages.
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
