England and their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major early encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw recalls their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Pool Draws
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a pool together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing win, with Scotland unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and top-ranked the Springboks until the final, assuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from the likes of England and the Irish all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to launch the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will feature a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's existence.
While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six group 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
