The English side together with Wales find themselves placed in the same group for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major pool stage clash in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
The Irish alongside the Scots also share a group once again, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
If the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of England and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's existence.
Although the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six pool winners will play a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
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
