England and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise early exit.
Key Group Draws
The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a convincing win, with their opponents unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa until the final, assuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the groups play out according to the current global standings, 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, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to launch the event.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six pool winners will play 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
