England together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group together, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 victory, with Scotland failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and top-ranked the Springboks until the final, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the groups conclude in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will open the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will face a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
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
