The English side and their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in an identical group for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock early exit.
Key Pool Draws
The Irish alongside the Scots also share a group together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing victory, with their opponents unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the groups conclude in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of England and the Irish all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at launch the event.
In other groups, holders South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six group 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
