The English side together with Wales have been drawn in an identical group for the World Cup in 2027, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing recalls their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the hosts' shock early exit.
Other Notable Group Draws
The Irish 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 their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as underdogs in France, complete that same group.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, assuming the Springboks win their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
If the pools play out according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts Australia find themselves alongside their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the event.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn Italy, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will face 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
