The English side together with Wales have been drawn in an identical group for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
Ireland and the Scots also share a pool together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland secured a 36-14 win, with their opponents unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, 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, assuming the South Africans top their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
If the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of the English and Ireland until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 stage for the first time in the competition's existence.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six group winners will play a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
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
