England and their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise early exit.
Key Pool Pairings
Ireland and the Scots also share a group once again, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they claimed a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, presuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
If 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 the English and Ireland all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Major Opener
Hosts Australia have been drawn together with their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's existence.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six group winners will face a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
RWC 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
