England together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their infamous clash in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Pairings
The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks win their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups play out according to the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six pool winners will face 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
