England together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in Australia. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw recalls their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's shock early exit.
Other Notable Group Pairings
The Irish and Scotland also share a pool together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a convincing win, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the final, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Implications
If the groups conclude according to the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland all the way to 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.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at launch the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's history.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six pool winners will play a third-placed side 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
