England and their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early clash in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' shock early exit.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 victory, with Scotland failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans top their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
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 both England and Ireland until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Hosts Australia find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 stage for the first time in the competition's existence.
While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six pool winners will face a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
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
