England and their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major early encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise early exit.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish and Scotland also share a group together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they claimed a convincing win, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and world number one the Springboks until the final, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
If the pools play out in line with the current world rankings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from the likes of England and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to launch the event.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States 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 twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will face a team that finished third 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
