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 encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing mirrors their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Pairings
Ireland and the Scots also share a group together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked South Africa until the final, presuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the groups play out according to the current global standings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six group winners will play 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
