England and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same group for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major early clash in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing recalls their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Draws
Ireland and Scotland also share a pool once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they claimed a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
If the pools conclude according to the current global standings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will open the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other 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
