The English side together with Wales find themselves placed in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Pool Draws
The Irish and the Scots also share a group together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Implications
If the groups conclude according to the current global standings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from the likes of England and Ireland until the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Opener
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to launch the competition.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's existence.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six group winners will play a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
Rugby World Cup 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
