England and their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Pairings
The Irish alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing win, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one the Springboks until the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Implications
If the groups conclude according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool 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, holders the Springboks have drawn Italy, Georgia and Romania. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the twenty 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 winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the other six group winners will play 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
