The English side and their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same group for the 2027 RWC, promising a major early clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock early exit.
Other Notable Group Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a pool once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed 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 France, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the final, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the groups play out according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from both the English and Ireland until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on that side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at launch the competition.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's existence.
While the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six pool winners will face 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
