England together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' shock early exit.
Other Notable Group Pairings
Ireland alongside the Scots also share a group once again, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a 36-14 victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa until the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the pools play out according to the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of the English and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman 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 marquee fixture designed to launch the competition.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 stage for the first time in the competition's existence.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will play a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
RWC 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
