The English side together with Wales find themselves placed in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
Ireland alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing win, with Scotland failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and top-ranked South Africa until the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools play out according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Opener
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the 20 who competed 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 England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six pool winners will play a team that finished third from the pool stages.
RWC 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
