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England together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage clash in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.

This draw echoes their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.

Key Pool Pairings

The Irish alongside the Scots also share a group once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.

Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that Pool D.

Notably, the victors of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.

Tournament Implications

If the groups conclude in line with the current world rankings, other top favourites 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, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.

Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener

Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.

The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the event.

In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.

Expanded Tournament for 2027

Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.

This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.

Although 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 Group B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.

A total of four of the remaining six group 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