The English side together with Wales have been drawn in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their memorable meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
The Irish alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing win, with their opponents unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as underdogs in France, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the final, presuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the pools play out in line with the current global standings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the event.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will play a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
Rugby World Cup 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