The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a group once again, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing win, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups cannot meet holders and top-ranked the Springboks until the final, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the groups conclude according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts Australia 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 South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas 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 feature a round of 16 round for the first time in the competition's history.
Although the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group winners will face a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
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
