The English side together with Wales will face off in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a highly-anticipated early encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Other Notable Pool Draws
Ireland alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools conclude according to the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on the same side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in France.
This edition 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 game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group 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 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
