England together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing mirrors their infamous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Pairings
The Irish and Scotland also share a pool together, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they secured a convincing win, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and top-ranked South Africa until the final, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
If the pools play out according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of England and Ireland until the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will introduce a last-16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will play a third-placed side from the pool stages.
Rugby World Cup 2027 Draw
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
