England and their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw recalls their infamous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
Ireland alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in France, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the Springboks win their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
If the pools play out according to the current global standings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of the English and the Irish until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Opener
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have drawn Italy, Georgia and Romania. The French team are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in 2023.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six group winners will face a team that finished third from the pool stages.
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
