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 Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing mirrors their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool together, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they claimed a 36-14 win, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the pools play out according to the current global standings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn Italy, Georgia and Romania. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six pool winners will play a third-placed side from the pool stages.
RWC 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
