The English side together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw recalls their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
The Irish and the Scots also share a pool together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a convincing victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and top-ranked South Africa before the final, presuming the Springboks win their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups conclude according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland until the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the event.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in France.
This edition will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six group winners will play a third-placed side 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
