The English side together with Wales find themselves placed in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the English team's shock early exit.
Other Notable Group Draws
Ireland and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 victory, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups play out in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from the likes of England and Ireland until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at launch the event.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 stage for the first time in the competition's history.
While the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – probably Italy – 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 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
