The English side together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise early exit.
Other Notable Group Draws
The Irish alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group together, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing win, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the pools play out in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both England and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six group winners will play a team that finished third from the pool stages.
RWC 2027 Groups
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
