England and their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major early encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw recalls their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Other Notable Group Draws
The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, both made a strong impression as underdogs in France, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from both the English and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at launch the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's existence.
Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six group winners will face a third-placed side from the pool stages.
RWC 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
