The English side and their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, promising a highly-anticipated early clash in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their memorable meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they claimed a convincing victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in France, round out that same group.
Significantly, the victors 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 win their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both the English and Ireland all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to jump-start the event.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, Georgia and Romania. The French team are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 round for the first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the other six pool winners will face a team that finished third 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
